Arnold Hansen-Strum

In 1993, Arnold Hansen-Sturm of Hansen Caviar Company was convicted of conspiring to purchase and sell 3,200 pounds of illegally obtained caviar.[99] After spending almost two years in jail, upon his release Hansen-Sturm returned to the caviar business, and was recently quoted as an expert on sturgeon conservation.[100] In 1999, two importers, Eugeniusz Koczuk, owner of the import company Gino International, and his associate Wieslaw Rozbicki, were convicted of smuggling caviar into the US in violation of CITES provisions.[101] After further investigation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service found the pair's smuggling operation had brought thousand pounds of caviar into the US illegally, paying airline employees to bring suitcases full of caviar tins through Kennedy Airport into the US.[102] On Oct. 28, 1998 investigators "apprehended seven couriers whose 16 suitcases contained 1,000 pounds of caviar.

Contact: Arnold Hansen-SturmHansen Caviar Company, Inc.93D South Railroad AvenueBergenfield, NJ 07621Voice: (800) 735-0441/(201) 385-6221Fax: (201) 385-9882

Arnold Hansen-Strum was born, figuratively, with a mother-of-pearl caviar spoon in his mouth.

After all, the Hansen family established the caviar business in Europe in 1869, and he represents the fifth generation to be involved with the delicacy.

After serving as president of both the Romanoff Caviar Co. and the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, he established the Hansen Caviar Co. in Bergenfield and has diversified to carry smoked salmon and foie gras as well as a variety of caviars.

Q. What changes have you seen in the caviar business?

A. The caviar trade has changed with the world situation.

Originally, the product that was considered the best came from Iran but embargoes and political situations brought Russian caviar into dominance.