Poaching threatens sturgeons: WWF warns of extinction of the last “Danube dinosaurs”

The sturgeons of the lower Danube are threatened with extinction. Poaching and illegal trade are pushing these rare animals to the brink of their existence. That shows one current report the environmental protection organization WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). According to this, a total of 395 cases of banned fishing and trading were reported between 2016 and 2023. 1,031 animals were affected in Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine – the number of unreported cases is far higher. “If we don’t stop poaching, the last Danube dinosaurs are in danger of becoming extinct. And this despite extensive breeding and reintroduction projects by the EU and Austria to preserve the sturgeon,” says WWF species conservation expert Jutta Jahrl. International protective measures and bans have not been able to break the threatening trend of recent years. The reason for this is the ongoing demand for sturgeon meat and especially caviar. “Every year the authorities in Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine record between 50 and 65 illegal cases. The loss of females with eggs is particularly tragic. Now every surviving sturgeon counts in order to maintain the populations in the long term,” says Jahrl from WWF Austria. The WWF therefore appeals to all authorities involved to monitor fishing, transport and trade more closely and to strictly punish legal violations.

To protect the Danube sturgeon, the WWF works closely with local fishermen on the lower Danube, involves them in research and protection measures or helps to establish alternative sources of income. The WWF also successfully supports local authorities. This applies, for example, to detecting illegal hook lines with underwater sonar devices: “In Bulgaria alone, 37 kilometers of illegal lines were recovered,” says Jutta Jahrl from WWF Austria.

Sturgeons are considered the most endangered group of species in the world. Three species of sturgeon in the lower Danube are now threatened with extinction: the Hausen (also known as Beluga), the Sternhausen and the Waxdick (also known as Russian sturgeon). In addition, the sterlet, the only species still found in Austria, was classified as critically endangered in 2022. Two other species of sturgeon have already become extinct in the Danube. Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine are one of the world’s most important distribution areas for these rare fish.