An angler in Croatia has caught a ship sturgeon, a species long considered extinct in the Danube River Basin. The rare catch took place on the Drava River, part of the world-famous five-country Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve. It was reported that the fish caught on the Drava was measured at 176 centimeters and 35 kilograms and was released back into the river alive.

Source: 24sata

The last confirmed record of a ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris) in this region dates back to 2009. In 2021, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the species locally extinct.

Sturgeons are often described as “living fossils,” having survived since the age of dinosaurs. Yet their future is in jeopardy. Migration routes along the Danube have been blocked by dams, and overfishing, driven by the lucrative trade in caviar, has devastated populations. Historically, six sturgeon species inhabited the Danube. Two are believed to be extinct, including the ship sturgeon, while all remaining four species continue to have a high risk of extinction. 

The sighting in Croatia has sparked cautious optimism among experts: “This is an exceptionally rare occasion. Unfortunately the sighting of a single fish does not mean there is a population that can reproduce and revive itself, but on a positive note this catch demonstrates that there is still natural habitat in the Drava river and sturgeon can survive there” commented Beate Striebel, WWF Sturgeon Initiative Lead.

Ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris), illustration: Stoyan Mihov

Free-flowing river sections in the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve provide vital pathways for migratory fish such as sturgeons. Nicknamed the “Amazon of Europe,” this extraordinary landscape is designated by UNESCO as the first five-country biosphere reserve. Along its 700-kilometre course, this green corridor resonates with the songs and rustling of abundant wildlife.

As part of the EU-funded LIFE RESTORE for Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve project, WWF is working with 16 partners to improve the natural river ecosystem. This is the largest restoration initiative ever implemented in the region. One of its main objectives is to restore habitats such as dynamic gravel and sand banks as well as side arms, which are crucial for the survival of sturgeon species. Furthermore, plans are underway to bring back to life 190 kilometres of key river stretches along the Mura and Drava.

Beyond restoration, WWF, together with multiple partners, is advancing several sturgeon conservation actions, including joint monitoring initiative in nine countries and the release of sturgeons bred from conservation broodstock, in an effort to give these ancient fish a future in the Danube.