In a significant step toward preserving vulnerable sturgeon populations, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM-FAO) has adopted its first binding recommendation for sturgeon protection. The regional organization dedicated to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, concluded its 47th session on November 8 with this landmark decision. Backed by its 22 member countries and the European Union, the decision enacts a permanent catch ban on Black Sea sturgeons and establishes new obligations to minimize and report bycatch and to raise awareness within the fisheries sector.
The decision is part of a larger set of actions introduced at the session, which saw the issuance of 12 binding recommendations and four resolutions designed to foster sustainable fisheries and protect vulnerable species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
WWF applauds the GFCM’s first management measures for Black Sea sturgeons and the inclusion of sturgeons in the regional action plan for vulnerable species. Beate Striebel-Greiter, WWF's Global Sturgeon Lead, emphasized the importance of this action, stating, "This decision marks a crucial step toward safeguarding sturgeon, bringing hope that with stronger protection, better handling of discards, and better reporting of bycatch, these remarkable species can recover and thrive once again in the Black Sea. Urgent, coordinated action is essential to ensure sturgeons continue to inhabit our rivers and the Black Sea for generations to come."
Sturgeon are more critically endangered than any other group of species
These fish can live up to 100 years but do not reproduce annually, making population recovery slow and vulnerable to disruption. Caviar from the beluga sturgeon can fetch up to US$10,000 per kilogram, fueling wildlife crime that threatens the survival of sturgeon species. A recent WWF report on sturgeon poaching and trafficking in the Lower Danube region documented 395 cases of illegal sturgeon fishing and trade in Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine, affecting over 1,000 sturgeon individuals between 2016 and 2023. These findings confirm that illegal activities are continuing to push the four remaining sturgeon species in the Danube closer to extinction.
Additionally, as a migratory species, sturgeons have lost access to many of their spawning grounds due to river damming across Europe over the past century.
One ray of hope for these species lies in their reproductive potential: sturgeons can produce millions of eggs. With proper protections in place, this capacity offers the possibility of gradually replenishing their populations.
