54 SEPTEMBER • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG PHOTO 5. Loading for disposal of mature female sturgeon that died due to water contamination. At the time of death, they were 18–20 years old. trout farm in Zakarpattia, Ukraine’s westernmost region. The fish here are smaller, and output has dropped from 300 kg to 40 kg of caviar annually. But mountain river water ensures high quality. Caviar production continues using non-lethal methods and a refined wet salting technique. The roe is extracted, salted, vacuumpacked, and treated before being finished at Ukrainian Caviar Berry. Demand remains high: the farm sells out around holidays. Michelin-starred chefs have expressed interest, though export is hindered by bureaucracy and cost. A Sector Under Siege Korkh’s experience mirrors those of many Ukrainian fish farmers: war, ecological risks, energy insecurity, and market barriers. Power outages can suffocate fish in 20 minutes. Generators are costly and fuel was nearly impossible to find in 2022. Pollution upstream remains constant. Worse still, institutional support has been minimal. Following the 2023 disaster, Korkh reached out to both Ukrainian and European environmental organizations. Most declined to assist, citing jurisdictional or definitional limitations. Only one official— from the EU’s Directorate for Environmental Policy—responded. “They don’t consider aquaculture part of wild nature,” Korkh notes. Hope in the Face of Crisis Despite enormous setbacks, Ukrainian Caviar Berry continues PHOTO 6. American Paddlefish in Ukraine. — A native species of North America, originally found in the Mississippi River Basin, now successfully cultivated in Ukrainian aquaculture facilities. to operate. Korkh handles sales, while his wife oversees processing. The sturgeon, though scattered across farms and facilities, still produce premium caviar. Korkh dreams of attracting investment but focuses on survival. “Sturgeon survived the dinosaurs,” he says. “They’ll survive us, too — if we let them.” Notes Anna Klochko,* Ukrainian journalist and photojournalist, www. akreportage.com. Corresponding author: annaklochko.media@gmail.com
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