PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus), a fish species widely known for its impressive size and black caviar, became extinct in the Baltic Sea in the last century. The main reasons for this were a deterioration of the quality of spawning rivers due to migratory barriers and water pollution as well as overfishing. The last specimen of natural origin was caught in 1996 in Estonian waters. Baltic sturgeon is a priority species listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive.
The development of the HELCOM action plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon, and the adoption of this plan in March 2019, was an important step towards recovering the sturgeon population in the Baltic Sea. Reintroduction, together with the elimination of adverse factors, is the only way to re-establish a viable population of A. oxyrinchus – an icon amongst Baltic Sea fishes – in the region.
The main risk factors for sturgeon have now been suppressed: conditions in the Narva and Pärnu rivers, historical spawning grounds for the species, have improved significantly and fishing for sturgeon is strictly prohibited. As a result, prospects for successful reintroduction of sturgeon are very good.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE Baltic Sturgeon’s aim is to re-establish sturgeon in the north-eastern Baltic Sea area, in an attempt to facilitate the restoration of a viable population. To this end, the project will introduce juvenile sturgeons and larvae into the Narva and Pärnu rivers, historically the most important sturgeon spawning rivers in the region.
RESULTS
Expected results:
• Baltic sturgeon reared under controlled conditions to adapt them to the water of the recipient rivers;
• Individuals from different age groups released – 500 000 larvae and juveniles – in the Narva and Pärnu rivers to reintroduce the species in its past range in the Gulf of Finland and on the western coast of Estonia;
• Implementation of the HELCOM action plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon and thus the underlying pan-European action plan for sturgeon recovery;
• Mortality originating from by-catch and poaching reduced to sustainable levels (less than 5% per year);
• International cooperation on conservation of the Baltic sturgeon and its habitats developed and supported;
• Greater public awareness about the conservation of habitats and species of EU importance and the LIFE programme’s role in this;
• Restoration of a self-sustaining population of an extinct species, resulting in increased value and improved biodiversity for the region’s Natura 2000 network; and
• Inclusion of the sturgeon in Natura 2000 management goals