A new sturgeon stocking event took place this month in Romania. 300 juvenile Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) were released at Isaccea. The aim of this activity is to save and strengthen two highly endangered Danube sturgeon populations by state-of-the-art conservational methods.

„The fish were released after being previously individually marked with PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) microchip marks. Taking in account that commercial fishing is prohibited in Romania during this period, we consider that sturgeons have a high chance of reaching the sea safely to grow and to return to the Danube for reproduction”, Marian Tudor, Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development.

The sturgeons released in the Danube come from a farm fish in Tulcea County and are about 1 year old. The juveniles were raised in growing fish ponds, according to its development stages. In the last phase, the sturgeons lived their last months in growing ponds, filled with river water specific to the place where they will be released. This is essential for migratory species because they must get used to the water in which they will return for breeding.