[ EVENTS ] Urgent need for effective regional collaboration and ex-situ conservation measures
Protecting the Danube sturgeon from extinction The sturgeon is an iconic and agship species of the Danube River with unique value for biodiversity, but sturgeon populations in the Danube and its tributaries are facing existential threats. Mitigating these calls for closer cross-border collaboration and much better implementation of existing measures.
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oth from a scientific perspective (as “living fossils� and as an indicator of good water and habitat quality) and from a socio-economic point of view the sturgeon is an important species in the Danube. These fish have contributed to the economy of the Danube River basin for decades, especially in Bulgaria and Romania from where caviar was sold to traders all over the world. In addition, sturgeon meat was used for consumption.
To be effective a ban on fishing must include compensation to fishers Today, due to the risk of extinction, most if not all sturgeon species are listed by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Sturgeon fishing is banned in most countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, but this has not been accompanied by appropriate compensation for the adverse social and economic impacts the ban has had on local fishing communities, which resulted in an increase in unregulated fisheries and over-exploitation. Fisheries managers have since realised that fishermen who rely on catching sturgeon need access to other income-generating opportunities, while sturgeon stocks recover. Once these populations revive, a
more sustainable exploitation may be feasible. There are six species of sturgeons native in the Danube River Basin and the Black Sea, but the survival of these ancient fish is threatened by a range of issues. Beluga (Huso huso) is the most famous due to its role in caviar trade and its impressive size (up to six metres). The other species are of the genus Acipenser, including A. gueldenstaedti, A. nudiventris, A. ruthenus, A. stellatus and A. sturio. According to the IUCN, all sturgeons are facing the verge of extinction, of which A. sturio is already extinct in the Danube River Basin. Many factors cause the decline of sturgeon populations, such as illegal fishing and caviar trade, overfishing, destruction of key habitats, blocking of migration routes, low water quality, water abstraction, predation by exotic species and changes in hydrological regime. Most sturgeons are anadromous, spawning in freshwater but spending most of their life in saltwater. The lack of integrated cross-border management of populations is therefore a major issue.
mechanisms by national and EU regulations, and by various conventions such as the Bern Convention, Convention of Migratory Species, CITES, and the Pan-European Sturgeon Action Plan. Implementation of these instruments is either not legally binding or not actively monitored and verified. Key steps towards remedying the problem are joint action by all stakeholders, and measures aimed at sturgeon conservation. In order to reach these objectives and to move a step forward, the “Dunarea de Jos� University of Galati hosted the international conference “Conservation of Danube Sturgeons – a challenge or a burden?� in Galati, Romania towards the end of 2019. With this conference, Romania, jointly with other Danube Basin
Iulian-Gabriel Birsan, Rector of “Dunarea de Jos� University of Galati, opened the conference expressing his full support for the action needed to save iconic species such as sturgeon. Among the speakers who addressed the audience were Adriana Petcu, State Secretary of Ministry of Water
Compliance with protection mechanisms is poorly policed and enforced
In theory, sturgeons are covered by various legal protection
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and Black Sea countries, hoped to draw attention to critically endangered sturgeon populations in the entire Danube. The event focused particularly on the status of Lower Danube/ Black Sea sturgeons. Sturgeon species upstream of the Iron Gate hydroelectric power station (the largest dam on the Danube river and located between Serbia and Romania), are restricted to sterlets (Acipenser ruthenus).
05/02/20 10:14 AM
