The sturgeon fish – from which caviar is farmed – has been protected since 1998 under CITES, and since 2000, a strict international labelling system has been in place for all caviar products to prevent the illegal trade. However, a 2023 study found that 21% of caviar and sturgeon samples analysed came from wild-caught sturgeons, and that 29% of the samples violated CITES regulations and trade laws – which included caviar that listed the wrong species of sturgeon or the wrong country of origin. Furthermore, another 32% of samples were declared as wild products, despite actually originating from aquaculture.