Poaching and illegal trade in sturgeon caviar persist in Romania and Bulgaria, posing a serious risk to the highly threatened species of fish, WWF warned Monday.

A total of 52.5 kilos (115.7 pounds) of illegal caviar, retailing for upwards of 6,000 euros ($8,200) per kilo, originating in the two countries was reported by European Union member states between 2000 and 2009, the report said.

“The real volume of illegal trade is likely to be considerably higher. Any illegal trade poses an unacceptable risk to these highly threatened species.”

Abu Dhabi is closer to building the world’s largest caviar farm after two dozen live sturgeon were flown from Frankfurt in last month.

The fish arrived at the world’s largest aquaculture plant in Abu Dhabi, a new 60,000 square meter facility that is expected to produce 32 tons of caviar a year.

The notion of building a caviar market was an audacious and ambitious one for a desert city.

But as appetites for luxury goods continue to climb in this affluent city, spiking demand for one of the most decadent food products was destined to follow.

Once the world’s top exporter of black caviar, Russia is building fish farms to harvest the gourmet delicacy as it aims to bring its sturgeon stocks back from the brink.

In Gamzyuki, a tiny village in the Kaluga region, around 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Moscow, a fish farm has the ambitious goal of producing 16 tons of the sturgeon eggs per year by 2014.

It is one of dozens of sturgeon farms that have opened in Russia recently, aiming to rebuild the nation’s reputation as the world’s premium exporter of caviar.

Russia has resumed sturgeon caviar exports to the European Union after a nine-year ban, a fisheries watchdog said Monday.

Russia has decided to allow exports to Europe of up to 150 kg (330 lbs) of black caviar from farmed fish as “a symbolic volume,” said Alexander Savelyev, a spokesman for the Federal Fisheries Agency.

“The goal is to break the ice which has formed over the past nine years when not a single permit was issued for exports of the black caviar from Russia,” said Savelyev.

The grey pearls burst on the tongue to release their salty, marine aroma, lifted by notes of nut or fruit.

Caviar remains the ultimate luxury food — except these days the Caspian delicacy likely comes from a farm near you.

Exports of wild sturgeon eggs have been restricted since 1998 under UN quotas set to protect the species from chaotic overfishing after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Wild Caviar has almost vanished from face of the Earth and the privileged few that are still able to enjoy its delicacy are hit where it hurts most, their wallets.

However, Caviar Azovka hopes to revive the rare treat through their precise farming and a strong ambition.

“Most of the countries, and their historic producers of Caviar, have had to ban exportations of wild Caviar so as to protect the Sturgeon species and ensure its survival.”