European range states are now expected to apply standardized, science-based guidelines for sturgeon conservation
A critical milestone in the fight to save one of the world’s most endangered wildlife groups was reached yesterday at the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention adopted a formal recommendation endorsing technical guidelines for sturgeon population monitoring, habitat assessment, and ex-situ conservation measures. This step paves the way for European sturgeon range states to significantly improve and harmonize their conservation efforts, enabling better data comparison, joint conclusions, and coordinated action to protect these ancient species. The guidelines were developed under a European Commission Service Contract by WWF and the expert network of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society.
The recommendation adopted by the Bern Convention encourages range states not only to implement these guidelines but also to engage stakeholders and integrate the guidelines into future conservation projects. This decision represents a significant milestone in the implementation of the Pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeons (PANEUAP, 2019–2029).
“Sturgeons, which have existed since the time of the dinosaurs, are now critically endangered. Their complex life cycles depend on migration between rivers and seas, often crossing multiple national borders. Collective, transboundary action is essential to ensure the survival of these flagship species ambassadors for free-flowing rivers and healthy marine ecosystems. The adoption of the guidelines is an important step ahead to enable such action”, commented Beate Striebel-Greiter, WWF Sturgeon Initiative Lead.
Europe is home to eight sturgeon species, seven of which are critically endangered. The only exception, the sterlet, is listed as endangered. Alarmingly, active restocking measures are the only reason some populations still exist. Despite legal protections under the EU Habitats Directive, the ship sturgeon was declared extinct in the EU by the IUCN in 2022. A few individuals may still survive in Georgia’s Rioni River, but their numbers are perilously low.
Applause Amidst Challenges
Since the morning session of the Bern Convention saw the devastating downlisting of wolf protections, the only applause of the day was reserved for a film dedicated to the European action plan to save sturgeons (PANEUAP), underscoring the urgency and importance of the work. The decision in favor of sturgeons came after WWF’s presentation of the mid-term evaluation of the plan, which highlighted both progress and critical gaps:
National Strategies: The European Action Plan needs to be translated on the national level to decide on priorities and responsibilities for each country. Still only 50% of countries have a national strategy, leaving a critical gap in coordinated efforts.
Fishing Bans and Poaching: While legal protections against sturgeon fishing are largely in place throughout the continent, Austria, Croatia, and Slovakia still allow angling of sterlets. Additionally, poaching remains an issue in eight countries, with the Lower Danube and Black Sea regions particularly affected.
Bycatch at Sea: Bycatch at sea is a problem for a majority of countries, yet information only derives from voluntary reporting of fishers and no official bycatch data exists in any country. In the Lower Danube WWF is collecting bycatch data from fishers in the Black Sea and the Danube river. Sturgeons are also trapped in a vicious circle – as they appear in low numbers, the total number of individuals caught as bycatch is low, but the impact is still high. Every sturgeon counts. This problem will become more pressing, in regions such as the North-East Atlantic where thousands of juvenile sturgeons were released over the last years.
Ex-Situ Conservation: All 18 range states agree on the importance of release programs, but 10 lack science-based ex-situ strategies, hindering the sustainability of these efforts.
Habitat Protection: Habitat identification is in progress for the rivers but protection of habitats is largely lacking or not functional and restoration basically not happening anywhere. Marine habitats are largely unknown.
Obstacles to migration: While the obstacles to migration in European rivers are well-known, functional fish passage solutions for sturgeons are almost entirely lacking. As a result, these obstacles continue to hinder sturgeon migration, which is critical for their life cycle and reproduction, posing a significant threat to their survival.
Monitoring Programs: Only four countries have established monitoring programs, with progress underway in five others.
Coordination of data collection and exchange between countries is still lacking, making it difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding of sturgeon populations. Progress has been made by engagement of countries, as 17 of 18 countries have now nominated a national sturgeon focal point under the Bern Convention, who should be responsible to coordinate conservation actions nationally between responsible stakeholders and with neighboring countries.
