In his waders, Stefan Astner checks on the albino sturgeon: Almost two decades after they hatched, they’re ready to be gutted for their caviar to be shipped out for New Year’s celebrations. “The fish have already been through the ultrasound so we saw that they are full (of roe) and they will go into production soon,” Astner says, dipping his net into a small pond teeming with the rare, white sturgeon. Deemed the most expensive food in the world, demand for caviar—essentially, salted roe—has driven most sturgeon species to the brink of extinction in the wild.

Gauquelin, B. (2020, December 31). In the Alps, white caviar offers and exclusive alternative. Manila Standard, p. B3.