Ship Sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris), photocredit: © WWF Austria, Hannes Greber
Nine countries along the Danube River have joined forces to protect some of Europe’s most endangered species: the sturgeons. On 9–10 July, thirteen project partners and strategic allies – including national ministries, universities, NGOs and research bodies – gathered in Bucharest to launch “MonStur in the Danube”, a new cross-border effort to monitor and protect these ancient migratory fish.
Co-financed by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, this three-year project will establish the first-ever transboundary sturgeon monitoring system in the Danube River Basin, laying the foundation for the long-term conservation of migratory fish.
“This project sends a clear message: we must act together if we want to safeguard sturgeons for future generations” declared Mr. Gheorghe Constantin, Project Manager, Romanian Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests. “The Danube connects us—our efforts must, too.”
A shared solution for a shared challenge
Some sturgeon species can grow over 6 metres long and weigh more than 1,000 kg — making them some of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Often referred to as “living fossils,” they have been swimming in the Danube for millions of years. But due to overfishing, destroyed habitats, and river fragmentation, most native species are now on the brink of extinction. Two of the six Danube sturgeon species are already lost; the rest survive only in scattered populations.
MonStur in the Danube addresses this urgent situation by:
● Developing a common monitoring system that harmonizes methodology and establishes shared databases for populations and habitats across countries
● Mapping critical habitats and migration corridors from Germany to the Black Sea
● Testing joint techniques like eDNA sampling and telemetry to track population status
● Providing national and EU policy makers with scientific evidence and shared recommendations
● Raising public awareness and involving local authorities and communities in sturgeon protection
The project builds on previous efforts—such as the MEASURES project—and will contribute directly to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), the Pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeons (PANEUAP), and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
Project partners and strategic allies gathered in Bucharest to launch “MonStur in the Danube"
From field data to policy impact
The monitoring system piloted by MonStur in the Danube will deliver not only population and habitat data, but also recommendations for national and regional river basin management plans. It will support better coordination among sectoral authorities—especially in areas where new spawning habitats are discovered and must be protected from infrastructure development or other threats.
The results will help create a Transboundary Sturgeon Action Plan for four Upper and Middle Danube Countries , which will harmonize conservation measures for sturgeons along the Danube River Basin.
“Sturgeons don’t recognise national borders – and neither should our efforts to protect them,” said Beate Striebel, WWF Sturgeon Initiative Lead. “This joint monitoring initiative is a critical step toward better protection. By generating reliable, basin-wide data, we can provide both national and EU policymakers with the scientific evidence and shared recommendations they need to take meaningful action.”
This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.
About the Project
Project title: Establishing, testing and launching a transboundary system for Monitoring Sturgeons, to manage and safeguard migratory fish in the Danube River Basin
Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027
Programme Priority: A greener, low-carbon Danube Region
Duration: 01.04.2025–31.03.2028
Total EU contribution: 1.657.573,20 EUR
Total budget: 2.071.966,50 EUR
Lead partner: Romanian Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forest
Project Partners: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) - Austria, WWF Central and Eastern Europe, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), WWF-Bulgaria, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition – Croatia, Széchenyi István University – Hungary, Danube Delta National Institute For Research and Development – Romania, WWF Romania Association, University of Belgrade - Institute for Multidisciplinary Research – Serbia, Water Research Institute – Slovakia, Public Union World Wide Fund for Nature Ukraine, Moldova State University.
Associated Strategic Partners: Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management – Austria, Viadonau – Austria, Ministry of the Environment – Czech Republic, Croatian Waters, Region of Lower Bavaria – Germany, General Water Directorate of Hungary, State Enterprise for Forest Management “Srbijašume” – Serbia, Public Enterprise “Vojvodinašume” Petrovaradin – Serbia, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic, Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection – Germany, Moldavian Water Agency, Institute for ichthyological and ecological research – Slovenia, The State Agency of Ukraine for the Development of Melioration, Fishery and Food Programs, River Administration of the Lower Danube Galati – Romania, Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute – Croatia.
