Episode Information

Deep in the waters of the Danube lives a prehistoric giant. Her eggs are the dish of dreams and fantasy—the price they fetch can make the wildest dreams come true. She’s virtually unchanged from her ancestors, who swam in ancient rivers when the dinosaurs still ruled the planet. They survived when the dinosaurs became extinct and are with us still, but now time is running out. This ancient giant is the Beluga Sturgeon, considered by some to be the largest freshwater sh in the world. Her unfertilised eggs become black gold, served in only the most expensive restaurants as caviar. Sturgeons are now at the very edge of extinction because of the exclusive market for their eggs, but only the eggs can allow the species to live. Paradoxically, the desire for caviar may now be the only chance they have for their future existence. ‘Billion Dollar Fish’ is a story of mystery and intrigue, of greed and desperation, of desire and aspiration — of an ancient giant and how her eggs have taken on a value almost beyond that of gold.