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Sensation in Lower Saxony: Extinct sturgeon spotted again!
A European sturgeon that was thought to be extinct was filmed in Lower Saxony - hope for species protection in Germany.
Sensation in Lower Saxony: Extinct sturgeon spotted again!
In a sensational moment for species conservation, a European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), a species that has been considered extinct in Central Europe for decades, was recently observed in waters in Lower Saxony. A video taken by a local diving school shows the fish's silhouette. Historically, the European sturgeon was widespread in rivers such as the Elbe, Rhine, Oder and Eider, but disappeared completely by the 1960s due to overfishing, water pollution and encroachment on river landscapes. The last natural population in Lower Saxony died out in 1969 in the Eider.
Reintroduction projects have begun in Germany and France since the 2000s, but the long-lived sturgeon, which only reach sexual maturity at 12 to 16 years of age, pose a major challenge to establishing stable populations. Currently, the filmed sturgeon is considered a potential relic, an escaped farmed fish or the product of a deliberate resettlement. Experts see the sighting as a glimmer of hope for species protection in German waters, as exxpress.at reports.
Tailwind for resettlement projects
The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) has been supporting research, breeding and reintroduction projects for the European sturgeon since 1996. The partners are the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the Society for the Rescue of Sturgeon (GRS). A central goal of these initiatives is to build a stable parent population in order to ensure the sustainable reintroduction of the European sturgeon. Genetic analyzes show that the last living specimens from the Gironde are identical to historical sturgeon from the North Sea. Consequently, offspring from this region were used for settlement projects in the North Sea catchment area, reports bfn.de.
A remarkable action took place on September 13th, when 100 young European sturgeons were released into the Elbe near Magdeburg as part of a reintroduction program. This was the first sturgeon offspring for the river since 2015 and is a crucial step towards restoring a self-sustaining sturgeon population, as [blinker.de](https://www.blinker.de/angelmethods/angeln-general/news/stoere- Werden-im-zuge-des-artenschutzprogramms-in-die-elbe-beset-sie-gelten-als-anzeige-fuer-einen-gesunden-fluss/) reports. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke emphasized the importance of long-term strategies and cooperation for the success of species protection.
Long-term perspectives and challenges
The reintroductions that were initiated in the 1990s face various challenges. Around 19,600 young sturgeon have already been released into the Elbe, but these came from French breeding and the programs had to be interrupted in 2014 due to the collapse of these stocks. The parent stock in Germany currently includes more than 400 animals, which are between 6 and 13 years old and are kept in large breeding facilities at the IGB in order to enable offspring.
The reintroduction and conservation of this impressive species is not only of ecological but also cultural importance. The European sturgeon is considered an ecological indicator of the condition of river systems. His return could not only strengthen the ecosystem, but also serve as a sign of successful cooperation in environmental research and nature conservation.