Ossetra past 30 years plus a high market demand for caviar have led the way for sturgeon farming, mainly for the production of caviar. Russia, Iran, members of the European Union, China and the USA were among the first; however, for the very same reasons countries outside the natural range of sturgeons also became involved (e.g. Uruguay, Arabian countries, Israel, and more recently Vietnam). Israel is a major producer of Russian Ossetra Caviar ("Acipenser gueldenstaedtii"). Branded as "Karat Caviar" recent exports are now available in the United States in order to meet the demand for caviar since there has been no
Sterlet become self-sustaining. Today, the majority of the international trade involves sterlets from aquaculture. The sterlet's main source of food is benthic organisms; they commonly feed on crustaceans, worms, and insect larvae. The sterlet commonly reaches the age of 22 to 25 years. Males reach sexual maturity at 3–7 years old and females at 4–12 years old. Spawning occurs from the middle of April to the beginning of June. Females may lay from 15,000–44,000 eggs, at water temperatures preferably 12–17 °C (54–63 °F). Sterlets require relatively large ponds with good water conditions, and may get entangled in plants such as blanketweed.