Cohiba cigars move over: the new gift of choice between wealthy American gourmets with a penchant for illegal luxuries may soon become beluga caviar.

From today, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is suspending imports of beluga sturgeon caviar and meat from the Caspian sea basin, including Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The decision comes after those countries failed to submit laws and plans for conserving the species, which was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act last year. Black Sea countries, which also produce beluga caviar, could face similar measures in the future.