Caspian sturgeon have been over-fished, with the collapse of the Soviet Union being one critical factor. However, there are more than 3 million beluga sturgeon in the Caspian Sea and many of the caviar producers have established restocking programs through which fingerlings (baby sturgeon) are bred in captivity and then released into the wild.

Animal rights and animal welfare groups are trying to ban the import of beluga caviar into the United States (the largest consumer) and, ultimately, ban trade in all caviar. However, eliminating the legal trade in caviar would not halt illegal fishing and the black market, which has been estimated to be up to ten times as large as the legal one. Poachers have no incentive to restock the Caspian and use wasteful fishing practices.

A trade ban would likely destroy all conservation measures by driving out of business all legal caviar producers. A better option would be to work with the authorities in the new Caspian states and help them regulate catches more efficiently. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) is currently operating a program aimed at doing this.