Recovery of sturgeon populations program will be finally assesed

Governmental project for restocking Danube River with sturgeon will be assessed through Operational Program for Fishing, in partnership with Black Sea neighboring countries, according to Agerpres.

Radu Suciu, researcher at National Institute of Danube Delta (NIDD), in Tulcea, said that the project is finally being assessed now. because there is a stringent need for its implementation. Romanian Government allocated important funds for the past years for the implementation of sturgeons restocking program.

“We think that Romania’s program for restocking Danube River with sturgeons was justified and we’re not happy at all that there were no funds for its assessment, in the past 5 years. It’s intolerable to not have a feedback for a program with such high costs”, said Radu Suciu.

More European countries decide to protect the sturgeon

The project, which was carried out in partnership with National Agency for Fishing and Aquaculture, University of Galati and Research and Development National Institute for Environmental Protection, in Bucharest, was submitted at POP for financing approval.

“We hope that through this project we’ll have the opportunity of a three years assessment on Black Sea coast, but also in the neighboring countries. The project will be implemented in partnership with specialized institutions from Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey and Bulgaria”, added NIDD representative.

Sturgeon species – beluga, sterlet, sevruga sturgeon and Russian sturgeon - are considered “Danube fossils” and represent one of most valuable animal origin resources on Earth. Danube River is one of the last habitats (the only one in European Union countries) where these species live and reproduce naturally.

The decline in the population of these species prompted Romanian Government to forbid sturgeon fishing in 2006 and start a restocking program for Danube. A million euro worth young sturgeons were discharged each year into the river. However, the program was put on hold in 2010.

Serbian Government decided to forbid commercial sturgeon fishing in 2007 in order to protect the sturgeon population. A similar decision was taken by Ukraine Government and that started an ample restocking program for Danube River in 2010.

Furthermore, Bulgaria decided for the first time to forbid commercial sturgeon fishing, this year. Prohibition period will be extended for 2012-2016 period.