Photocredit: Hans Moyson/ WWF Belgium
BOKU University and WWF released nearly 6,500 sturgeon fish of the critically endangered Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedti) species into the Danube. The restocking is part of the innovative LIFE-Boat4Sturgeon project and took place in the town of Belene on Tuesday, July 29.
The fish are two and a half months old and about 15 cm long. They were raised as part of the EU-funded LIFE-Boat4Sturgeon project, which aims to create a gene bank for breeding young individuals of the four species of sturgeon still found in the Danube, thereby helping to ensure their survival.
Before being released into the Danube, the young Russian sturgeons were marked with a special market. This will enable experts to identify them during future observations as specimens from this particular restocking.
"These individuals have reached an age that makes them a bit less vulnerable to risks and increases their chances of survival during the long journey to the Black Sea. We urge fishermen along the river to protect the small fish, as they can easily get tangled in their nets. If this happens, the fish must be immediately released and returned to the river," appeals Stoyan Mihov, Freshwater Program Manager at WWF-Bulgaria.
The released fish began their life journey at Europe's first floating sturgeon breeding station, which opened in Vienna in April. They are of proven Danube origin. This is important both for their adaptation to the specific characteristics of the environment and as a guarantee that local populations are not exposed to additional risk with the release of alien species.
Sturgeon are an endangered species and a total ban on their fishing in the Danube and Black Sea remains in force. Unfortunately, however, adult specimens that enter the Danube to reproduce are still preyed upon by poachers. The reason is the high price of their caviar on the black market. WWF warns that any product made from wild sturgeon is illegal and harms both the few remaining sturgeon populations and the future income of fishermen.
Photocredit: Hans Moyson/ WWF Belgium
Sturgeons live a long time (sometimes more than 100 years), but only reproduce a few times in their lifetime. It will take more than 10 years before the released Russian sturgeons return to the Danube and produce their first generation. Overfishing and poaching remain serious threats to their survival. It is of utmost importance to protect their habitats and give them a chance to build a stable population. Otherwise, we risk losing a priceless species that has existed for 200 million years.
The event in Belene was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Water in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water in Pleven, Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, and Persina Nature Park.
Photocredit: Hans Moyson/ WWF Belgium
