Russian authorities are tightening their grip on the illegal red caviar trade, a lucrative market fueled by rampant salmon poaching in the country’s Far East. In a recent incident at the main airport in the Kamchatka region, a major global source for the delicacy, three passengers bound for Moscow and Irkutsk were prevented from flying with nearly 28 kilograms of undocumented caviar that exceeded personal transport limits. The confiscated goods were left with their acquaintances on the ground.
The event highlights a broader government crackdown aimed at disrupting the supply chain for poached seafood. Since November 2022, Russia has enforced a strict experimental regulation in Kamchatka, limiting each air passenger to carrying no more than 10 kilograms of red caviar that lacks official industrial marking and documentation. This measure directly targets the unofficial, or “grey,” market. Initially set to expire in 2025, the government has extended the program for an additional two years, signaling a long-term commitment to combating the issue.
The scale of both the legal personal transport and the enforcement actions is significant. In the past week alone, over 3.5 tons of non-industrial caviar were legally flown out of Kamchatka by passengers adhering to the limit. Since the rule’s implementation, authorities have recorded 158 violations, preventing over 1.7 tons of excess, undocumented caviar from leaving the peninsula. This is a fraction of the nearly 500 tons that have been legally transported by individuals in their luggage during the same period, illustrating the sheer volume of the product moving through this channel.
These measures represent a critical domestic effort by Moscow to protect the fragile and valuable salmon populations of the Kamchatka Peninsula, a region renowned for its unique ecosystem. The high demand for red caviar, both within Russia and abroad, has created a powerful black market that threatens environmental stability and undermines the legal fishing industry. The airport-level enforcement is a key front in the state’s wider strategy to regain control over its valuable natural resources and curb a pervasive environmental crime.