STURGEON SANCTUARY

Sturgeon Sanctuary is the culmination of decades of hands-on experience in sturgeon aquaculture. My journey began in the early 1990s with a personal fascination that led to the creation of the UK’s largest sturgeon research and development breeding facility. Starting from a small fiberglass pond in my back garden, the operation grew into a state-of-the-art facility housing over 450 adult female sturgeon and thousands of fingerlings across eleven species.

The farm was designed to replicate environmental conditions essential for successful sturgeon breeding—conditions that the UK climate cannot naturally provide. Water was drawn from a borehole 60 meters deep and filtered through quartz rock, producing water pure enough to drink. Each room was tailored to a specific life stage, from egg incubation to mature breeders. Temperature, light spectrum, flow rate, depth, and salinity were all precisely controlled. This attention to detail resulted in some of the most visually striking and healthy sturgeon ever bred in the UK.
 

Sturgeon Sanctuary now represents the next phase of this vision. It will be the UK’s first dedicated sanctuary and breeding facility for ornamental sturgeon. The project aims to establish a domestic breeding program for sturgeon and sterlet, reducing reliance on imports and improving animal welfare. It will also provide a permanent home for sturgeon that have outgrown private ponds.

Sturgeon Sanctuary will contribute to environmental sustainability by lowering the carbon footprint associated with international transport and supporting the development of a resilient domestic ornamental fish market. It will also serve as a platform for research, education, and public engagement around responsible aquaculture.

In the long term, the project will incorporate ethical caviar production, using standards similar to those of KC Caviar Ltd. This will provide a sustainable revenue stream while maintaining the highest ethical and environmental standards.