Reviving the Baltic sturgeon - European Commission
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Oceans and fisheries
  • Project

Reviving the Baltic sturgeon

Once declared extinct in the region, the Baltic sturgeon is being reintroduced to its native waterways through the Stör project, led by German scientists.

Release of Baltic sturgeon into the Oder river for a telemetry study.
© LFA

Known as living fossils, sturgeons have faced steep declines due to overfishing, pollution, and river damming. The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Research Centre’s aquaculture facility has successfully reproduced Baltic sturgeon since 2010, producing fish for restocking across Europe. The project involves extensive cooperation with EU countries, focusing on spawning management, re-stocking, and long-term population monitoring to ensure the species' recovery and protect its migratory lifecycle.

Results

  • Successful reproduction of Baltic sturgeon at the Born facility since 2010, with continuous restocking across Germany and other Baltic states.
  • Reintroduced sturgeon populations in the Oder catchment area and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern coastal waters, contributing to species recovery.
  • Strong collaboration with EU scientists, fishers, universities, and administrations in 8 EU countries to monitor and protect reintroduced sturgeon.
  • Implementation of long-term population monitoring and spawning management to ensure sustainable recovery of the Baltic sturgeon. It will continue to be funded under the EMFAF.

Contact

State Research Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries MV

Name
State Research Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries MV
Website
https://www.landwirtschaft-mv.de/
Email
Phone number
0385-588 60001