Since 1996, 27 species of sturgeon are on the IUCN Red List with 63% listed as Critically Endangered.  At the 10th meeting of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in Harare, 1997 it had been agreed to regulated the international trade in sturgeons.  In many sources it is common to take 1998 as a year when CITES has began compulsory regulation of all wild and aquacultural sturgeon stocks and trades.  Since 2011, CITES has closed all wild catch export quotes of sturgeon and caviar across the whole world. 

Being listed in the Red Book, sturgeons and black caviar trade had completely changed.  Every producer or repacker is obliged to be registered with local officials,  who is responsible for the trace of such products.  Every jar, tin or container of caviar has to have a special CITES code, which has all needed information to trace to its origins, as in the example below: