FishWise Partner Tsar Nicoulai Sends Sustainable Caviar to Space!

Sustainable seafood has expanded its reach to outer space. On July 18, private space company SpaceX launched a rocket on a mission to resupply the International Space Station. Included amongst the cargo were six tins of caviar from Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, one of FishWise’s producer partners.

Tsar Nicoulai partnered with NASA to send the first US-produced fish eggs into orbit. The tins contained caviar from farm-raised American white sturgeon–a source rated Green “Best Choice” by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program given the closed-tank production method used, which minimizes impacts compared to other aquaculture systems.

Since all 27 wild sturgeon species around the globe are depleted or critically endangered due to high demand for caviar and the sturgeon’s slow-growing nature, caviar from farm-raised sturgeon presents the best option for experiencing this culinary delicacy.

So how will the astronauts indulge? Previous experimentation suggests the best way to eat caviar in space is to squeeze it into the mouth from a bag, suck it through a straw, or wrap it in a tortilla.

That’s one small step for caviar, one giant leap for sustainability!