A STURGEON THOUGHT LOST FOREVER HAS BEEN SPOTTED IN THE DANUBE BASIN

A remarkable event has thrilled environmentalists across Europe: in Croatia, on the Drava River — a tributary of the Danube — a fisherman caught an extremely rare ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris), a species long believed to be extinct in the Danube basin. The fish measured 1.76 meters in length and weighed 35 kilograms. After being documented, it was released back into the river alive.

The discovery took place within the Mura–Drava–Danube Biosphere Reserve, also known as the “Amazon of Europe.” The last confirmed record of this species in the region dated back to 2009, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) officially declared it locally extinct in the Danube basin in 2021.

“This is an exceptionally rare event. Unfortunately, a single fish does not mean a self-sustaining population exists, but it proves that the Drava River still maintains natural conditions where sturgeons can survive,” said Beate Striebel, leader of WWF’s Sturgeon Conservation Initiative.

“It’s a sign of hope. Restoring rivers and migration routes can bring back species we once thought were gone forever,” added Oksana Konovalenko, Head of the “Water” Programme at WWF-Ukraine.

Sturgeons are often called “living fossils”, having survived since the age of dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago. Yet today, they are among the most endangered species on Earth. Their catastrophic decline is caused by:
construction of dams blocking migration routes;
destruction of spawning habitats;
poaching for caviar.

Historically, six species of sturgeon inhabited Ukraine’s waters — all now listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Two of them — the Atlantic sturgeon and the ship sturgeon — are officially considered extinct.

Nevertheless, Ukraine is actively engaged in international efforts to restore Danube sturgeon populations:

LIFE-Boat 4 Sturgeon (2022–2030) — a large-scale EU-funded project focused on the recovery of four surviving Danube species (Russian sturgeon, sterlet, stellate sturgeon, and beluga). The project includes breeding programs, restocking, and creation of a genetic “living bank.”

MonStur in the Danube — a cross-border project for monitoring and data exchange on sturgeon populations among Danube countries.

These EU-supported initiatives offer a real chance for sturgeons to return to their natural habitats in the Danube.

The Institute of Danube Research notes that this discovery is a powerful symbol of hope for the entire Danube ecosystem. It shows that restoring river continuity, removing dams, and cross-border cooperation can truly bring life back to what was once believed lost forever.