OSHKOSH, Wis. – A state game agent was fined $50 for bartering with spear-fishers for sturgeon eggs and processing them into caviar. Ryan Koenigs, the Natural Resource’s Departmente lead sturgeon biologist, had pleaded no contest to a charge of obstructing a game warden. Meanwhile, Koenigs is on leave from the DNR pending an internal investigation. So far the investigation has confirmed some details of a larger scheme. Apparently Koenings collected eggs from spearers, purportedly for research purposes. Co-worker would process the eggs into caviar and some would be shared with fellow DNR employees. About $20,000 worth of caviar, was involved, according to court documents.
For your grocery list
Sturgeon roe retails for $65 to $85 per ounce. Prized species start about $150. Caviar in a restaurant usually is at least $100. The Waldorf Astoria in New York offers caviar from 2 to 9 p.m. as an appetizer. Three choices: Petrossian golden ossetra, nutty and briny from sturgeon with firm beads, from the Caspian Sea; hackleback, also from sturgeon, a pronounced flavor and glistening black beads with hints of emerald and gold, from the Missouri and Mississippi rivers; and salmon, firm orange berries, that burst into salty flavors, from Alaska and the North Pacific. Served with traditional caviar accoutrements: Egg, chives, onion, creme rraiche, and,your choice of blinis or Swedish rye bread. Recommended companion potable: A five-ounce decanter of Beluga Gold Line vodka.