The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire

I expected it to be a rather dry account, but the intro reels you in to the struggle of commercial fishing and regulation from a very personal perspective. Electric!

In THE PHILOSOPHER FISH, Richard Adams Carey has written an epic chronicle of the sturgeon--a fish species rapidly approaching extinction wherever it swims--as well as of its precious product, caviar. Selling for as much as one hundred dollars an ounce, caviar has become an icon of status and success, and as such, it has led to the inevitable decline of that curious and prehistoric fish: the sturgeon. Carey exams both the fish as a species as well as the industry that seeks to exploit it. The fascinating and ancient phylogeny of the sturgeon notwithstanding, this fish is clearly in trouble. In the last two decades, sturgeon populations have shrunk to less than one third of what they were. Much of U.S. trade in caviar, as elsewhere, is illegal, but up until now, those who are working to save the sturgeon are largely ineffective. As in the drug trade, the potential rewards to be reaped by the caviar industry have led to energetic smuggling operations, the mislabeling of sturgeon species on caviar tins, as well as other shenanigans. Among the many storylines covered in THE PHILOSOPHER FISH, Carey follows the efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stymie the illegal trade in caviar, though as a result of 9/11, their resources have largely been diverted elsewhere. Carey also follows several of the sturgeons' champions in this world as they seek to improve the fish's plight. There is some slight hope in the efforts of those that hatchery-spawn sturgeon species for aquacultural purposes and possibly for future restocking projects. In his search for every sturgeon-related experience he could find, Carey even ice-fishes for sturgeon in Lake Winnebago, one of the few places in the world where this can be done (strict quotas make the season as short as only 2 days a year), but he clearly feels conflicted about it (he didn't catch anything). He drinks vodka along the shores of the Volga River as he observes the trade, both legal and illegal, of the world's most famous caviar locales. THE PHILOSOPHER FISH takes the reader around the world, from Sacramento to the shores of the Caspian Sea. Many of the stories involve intrigue and espionage of the highest order. Others are humorous or bitter-sweet. Still others offer hope. All are intensely interesting. I enjoy reading books that tell me more than I ever wanted to know about one circumscribed subject. THE PHILOSOPHER FISH is such a book, and I give it my highest recommendation. Jeremy W. Forstadt

The sturgeon has been associated with the luxury food caviar since the days of the Persian Empire, with both wealth and sex appeal associated to its ingestion over the centuries - but today it's a fast-vanishing fish, threatening to take with it the people who depend on it for a living. Sturgeon natural history is examined by Carey, who journeys around the world to uncover its habits, habitat, and those profiting from it. Anticipate more than a natural history alone though: international politics, economics, and world diplomacy are all deftly examined with the sturgeon at the heart of all issues.

Cavier is the choice of the rich. It is merely the sturgeon's eggs. Sturgeon populations have declined 70% in the last twenty years because of the gluttony of obese, wealthy connoiseurs of fish. It is now becoming a most-endured species. Harvard grad Richard Carey informs us of the people both profiting from the cavier producing business and shows a high-stakes cocktail of business, crime, diplomacy, technology an dthe problems of conservation. As the public appetites gorw and more people now can afford this staple to their diets which was once a luxury, it soon may become extinct. Fish has always been my favorite food since the days of cowboys movies around Market Square and the lunch at a diner, always fish. Being a Southerner, I love to eat catfish and hush puppies. Having no way to get to the specialty fish places in East Tennessee, I have to depend on Captain D's and Long John Silver's. Usually I go to the nearest, CD, but today I rode a long bus ride to rach LJS , and it was worth it. CD may produce a larger fish sandwich, but LJS tastes better. Sturgeon was plentiful in the waters around the Persian Empire 250 million years ago. Today it has declined drastically in the Caspian Sea where it had survived against all odds. The large salaries of 2005 enable more gluttons to afford something which sells for $100 an ounce. It corresponds with sex appeal among the high and mighty. The sturgean has seen more years when it first spawns than many fish see in a lifetime. In East Tennessee, the carp are enormous, and people don't have the rich tasts -- though you may find it at some of the gatherings of the social groups at KMA. This was the pap of life, the milk of wonder as the food of the gods. They spawn only in rivers of a world without sin. Soon they will all die out, becaues some people don't practice restraint in their culinary desires. And there is no place on this earth without sin, and the presumptuous who think they know it all. Even though they certainly do not!

Mr. Carey paints an interesting and informative portrait of the rich, sordid world of caviar production and of the sturgeon itself. You don't have to be a lover of caviar to enjoy this book, but if you are it makes you more appreciative of the noble egg. I recommend the book highly and suggest Robbing the Bees as an additional title to check into if you like this one!