Young sturgeons released into the Elbe for the first time in almost ten years

For the first time in almost ten years, young sturgeons have been released into the Elbe. This is linked to the hope that a stable population will establish itself in the Elbe in the long term, said the coordinator of the reintroduction program, Jörn Geßner from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). The European sturgeon is an important ecological indicator of the state of our river systems.

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) emphasized during the symbolic action near Magdeburg that long-term strategies are needed for such successful projects. "This shows: We are able to save endangered species if we act together and with determination."

The sturgeon reintroduction program was initiated back in the 1990s. Since 1996, German and French research institutes have been working together to build up parent stocks. According to the IGB, around 19,600 young sturgeon were released into the Elbe between 2007 and 2015. After the collapse of the French breeding population, the reintroduction was interrupted.