Ossetra

[2] The word Ossetra is the transcription of the genitive case form осетра (osetra, 'of sturgeon') of the Russian word осётр (osyotr 'sturgeon') from the phrase икра осетра (ikra osetra, 'caviar of sturgeon').

At one time, "ossetra" referred to Russian sturgeon species harvested for this type of caviar.

Today, the Ossetra-bearing species faces extinction in its native Caspian habitat because wild-caught Russian sturgeon (acipenser gueldenstaedtii) are immediately slaughtered to determine their sex and egg-bearing condition.

Farm-raised sturgeon are periodically scanned by harmless ultrasound to make the same determination.

Russia, Iran, members of the European Union, China, and the USA were among the first; however, for the very same reasons, more countries outside the natural range of Caspian native sturgeons also became involved (e.g., Uruguay, Arabian countries, Israel, Iran, Italy and more recently Vietnam).