for Iran
The history of Iranian caviar truly starts only in the 1950’s. Previously, the Russians controlled the entire sea and were the only people to operate in the region, even during the times of Ancient Persia, now Iran. Fisheries and fishing rights belonged solely to the Soviet Union, so only the Russians could produce caviar. Iran received only 15% of profits made on Perse Riba Caviar! However, in 1952, the Shah of Iran acquired the fishing rights to the region and nationalised all fisheries under the state-run SHILAT (State monopoly on Iranian caviar production and export). From that date on, wild Iranian caviar boomed and became known as the best in the world.
Three of the best caviar varieties were once produced in Iran: Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga. In the 1950’s, the Iranian fishermen were unique in the way they employed traditional open water fishing methods up and down the Caspian coastline. They set up fisheries on piles so that the eggs could be extracted as soon as possible after the sturgeon was caught. Caviar masters also had unique techniques that differentiated from the Russian style: their caviar was typically lower in salt content, thereby enhancing the natural aromas more fully. The quality of wild Iranian caviar, deemed to be the best in the world, was such that national production in 1980 made up a quarter of all Caspian Sea exports to the West.