Businessman shares his sturgeon knowledge
Published Monday August 3rd, 2009
Fish One of the world's oldest species produces great meat - and cavier
At about 6:30 a.m. each day during the summer, Cornel Ceapa heads out on the St. John River near Carters Point and inspects the 180-foot, 14-inch-hole gill nets under the water's surface.
During the peak migration season for Atlantic sturgeon, the 11 nets set out are replete with the prehistoric fish - among the oldest species in the world.
"At the beginning peak of the season, we catch about 50 fish a day and we only keep 10," Ceapa said.
Atlantic sturgeon can grow to 10 feet or more and weigh several hundred pounds.
Right now, the migration has slowed but the fish Ceapa is catching are of better quality. As a scientist, he's sure to point out that his company, Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Inc., does not deplete stocks of the ancient and endangered species.
Ceapa knows a lot about sturgeon and just how to market the meat - good barbequed or smoked - and highly-prized eggs as caviar.
He spends most weekends, except during the busy summer season, at the Saint John market educating consumers about how to cook with sturgeon meat and visits the Fundy Food Festival each year, too.
"People don't know sturgeon meat," he said. "It's an amazing meat."
Last summer, the company opened a federally inspected processing plant in Carters Point.
Right now, the businessman brings in cash to fund a future aquaculture operation nearby from his hatchery on the Carters Point wharf along the Kingston Peninsula, where he raises Atlantic sturgeon and its cousin - the shortnosed sturgeon - to sell live all over the world.
"Hopefully next year, hopefully we'll start building up aquaculture," he said.
The company has environmental assessments done and is only awaiting more capital to start raising fish for caviar and meat.
Until then, Ceapa will continue to source the St. John River for mature females to harvest for caviar.
Available largely for purchase in Canada, Ceapa's caviar makes its way into restaurant kitchens across the country.
"Right now we have distributors all over Canada for our caviar. We've been building up a lot, our name. We use Facebook," he said. "We try to get to chefs because chefs are the decision-makers in a restaurant."
Romanian-born, Ceapa immigrated to Canada with his family a few years ago and formed Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar in 2004.
A French-speaker but one with no ties to Acadia, Ceapa said he took the name to tap into the region's history; caviar, he argues, is a traditional food.
"We wanted a historical name from this area," he said. "We wanted something traditional."
The company's logo - with sails and masts atop a hull designed to look like a sturgeon - was drawn by Ceapa's then 12-year-old relative, a few years ago.
"I wanted a sturgeon sail ship," he said.
While the businessman said the company is beginning to be recognized locally, stringent regulations have blocked exports of meat and caviar to some global markets.
Still, the company is getting ready to ship meat to Korea and has already marketed meat in Iceland.
"It's slow. World regulations are really encumbering for us," he said.
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency announced last fall that it had recently awarded Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar a business loan of $45,000 to go global.
"We are working on the last things for the Taiwan thing to ship some," Ceapa said.
Ceapa anticipates federal permits to export caviar any month now.
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