Caviar success: Inside Moldova's fish farming venture
A costly, yet profitable business. This is a sturgeon farm in Ulmu, Ialoveni. The owner, Tudor Coșleț, dedicated years to studying and invested millions to reap the rewards of his labor.
The fish are brought from Odessa, and so far, the owner has harvested 20 kg of caviar, but he hopes to harvest over a ton once all species reach maturity. The entrepreneur shared, in a report by Teleradio-Moldova, the challenges of such an investment and the caviar production process.
Tudor Coșleț's business began with a passion for fishing. Years of study and significant investments followed.
"For nine years, I studied sturgeons at home in a pond and built additional tanks. I spent six years reading every possible scientific paper, researching online, and visiting enterprises in Romania," says the entrepreneur.
The construction of the halls began three years ago. Now, seven sturgeon species, including Sterlet, Beluga, and Russian sturgeon, are raised in two of them through a recirculating water system. It is the most expensive, yet the most efficient, in terms of water usage per cubic meter.
"We are the first on the right bank of the Dniester to implement this method. Although we are beginners, we hope to expand our operations and export to many countries worldwide," states Tudor Coșleț.
The entrepreneur managed to bring about 700 albino sturgeons to Ulmu and the surrounding area, purchased from Odessa. Specialists who harvest the caviar also come from there, as they are not found in Moldova. They check the maturity of the fish, and if they have reached the necessary stage of development, they are moved to the wintering room, an area for preparing them before the harvesting period.
"They stay and winter for two months, the caviar matures, and then we create conditions close to nature. We raise the temperature by one degree up to 12-13 degrees. Then the instinct appears that it is spring and they need to lay caviar," explains the entrepreneur.
The fish are moved from the wintering room to the harvesting room in a way that does not endanger their lives. The entrepreneur describes the process as similar to milking, a less invasive method than slaughtering the fish. After extracting the roe, the fish are allowed to recover and then returned to the water.
So far, 20 kilograms of caviar have been extracted at Tudor Coșleț's farm, but he hopes to obtain more than a ton when all species reach maturity. The entrepreneur aims to obtain a high-quality final product, in a natural way, with a reduced content of preservatives. Currently, he is working on obtaining certification for caviar export, as well as for processed fish.
He also plans to expand his business and has installed solar panels to ensure the farm has an independent energy source. In Moldova, the price of a kilogram of black caviar is approximately 20,000 lei (~€1,000) or higher.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
