Indiana wildlife officials have boosted patrols along the Wabash River to curb illegal harvesting of shovelnose sturgeon that's feeding the global caviar market's growing demand for its eggs.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says shovelnose sturgeon roe is currently worth more than $300 per pound once it's processed into what's known as Hackleback caviar.
The agency announced Thursday that it is closely monitoring the fishing of shovelnose sturgeon along the Wabash River during the fish's current season, which runs from October to May.
The Evansville Courier & Press reports the federal government listed the shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened species in 2010.
Thirteen people have been cited or warned on the Wabash River by authorities in Indiana and adjacent Illinois so far this season for equipment violations.
Information from: Evansville Courier & Press
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