2011年初，俄羅斯政府終止了對歐洲魚子醬出口的禁令。

俄羅斯政府於2002年實施了這項禁令，以製止亞速海和里海的鱘魚過度捕撈和偷獵。在蘇聯時期，世界上最令人垂涎的黑魚子醬的主要產地是亞速海和里海。伴隨著後蘇聯時期俄羅斯的經濟混亂，俄羅斯魚子醬市場被偷獵者和非法過度捕撈所主導。從1980年代末期到2010年，亞速海和里海的鱘魚數量減少了約40倍。

Russia may face some challenges in its re-entry to the caviar market.

Russia faces competition from Iran, which emerged as the top exporter of black caviar to Europe during the nine-year period of Russia’s export ban.  Israel also exports caviar, selling about 3000 kg of caviar in 2011.  Israel, in contrast to Russia, is not limited by internal export regulations, as caviar cannot be sold in Israel due to religious laws.  The Russian law only allows 150 kilos of black caviar to be exported annually to Europe.  The demand for black caviar is high, and the limited supply of Russian caviar exports may not be able to fully meet this demand, allowing competitors to stay in business. Russia’s nine-year exit from the European caviar market may have allowed competing markets such as those of Iran and Israel to develop loyal relationships with consumers.  However, Russian caviar’s historical reputation may help it regain its market share.

俄羅斯出現了鱘魚養殖場，作為野生鱘魚的替代品。

The amount of these farms is expected to rise.  As the number of these farms grows, Russia may eventually regain its world market share of black caviar exports.  It takes about seven years to raise a sturgeon, and Russian’s nine year ban has provided time to raise new sturgeon.  These farms may eventually make up a major source of exported Russian caviar, supplemented by some wild sturgeon-derived caviar.  As caviar production shifts to farms and increasingly stringent penalties on poachers decrease illegal poaching of wild sturgeon, these wild sturgeon may be given an opportunity to repopulate and eventually allow Russia to increase its quota on wild sturgeon-derived caviar.

政治緊張局勢也可能使俄羅斯魚子醬市場的復甦變得複雜。

The European Union has regulations regarding aquacultured products, and in past years, the Russian government has refused to sign certain trade agreements.  In addition to Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan surround the Caspian Sea, which may prevent Russia from fully capitalizing on the sturgeon in the Caspian Sea.  Russia has gotten into conflicts with former Soviet republics that have been seeking to re-establish their national identities, and a paucity of agreements among these countries may pose hurdles in the effort to repopulate the wild sturgeon population.  The United States may be another potential for Russian black caviar exports, but political disagreements between these two countries may make it difficult for Russia to take full advantage of the U.S. market, allowing exporters such as Israel, which maintains friendly relations with the U.S., to take up more of the U.S. market share.