Bulgaria Introduces Indefinite Ban on Sturgeon Fishing in the Danube and Black Sea

The Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food have introduced an indefinite ban on fishing for sturgeon species in the Bulgarian section of the Danube River and the Black Sea. The measure will take effect on 1 January 2026, after its publication in the State Gazette.

According to the Environment Ministry, sturgeons are among the most endangered species globally due to habitat loss, disruption of migration and spawning routes, water pollution, illegal fishing and the caviar trade. Recovery of natural stocks is a lengthy process, as these species are long-lived and reach sexual maturity only after many years.

The order prohibits the catch of the following species in Bulgarian waters of the Danube and the Black Sea:

-       beluga (Huso huso),

-       Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii),

-       starry sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus),

-       sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus).

The Danube is described as the last European river with viable populations of these four sturgeon species. Two other species – the European sea sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) and the Atlantic sturgeon (Huso nudiventris) – historically present in the river, are now considered extinct there.

National bans for conservation purposes had previously been adopted for 2012–2015, 2016–2020 and 2021–2025 without interruptions allowing sturgeon fishing in between; the new act is the first open-ended ban. Similar bans on sturgeon fishing in the Danube and the Black Sea are already in place in Romania, Serbia, Austria, Georgia and Türkiye.

The order may be amended or repealed if the conservation status of the species improves or if changes become necessary, for example due to new taxonomic information.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research

The Institute of Danube Research welcomes Bulgaria’s decision as a significant step towards safeguarding the remaining wild sturgeon populations of the Lower Danube and fulfilling international biodiversity commitments. For the Lower Danube region, including Ukrainian Danube communities, this creates new opportunities for joint monitoring, restoration of spawning habitats and stronger enforcement against poaching across the basin.

IDR stresses that without long-term coordination among all Danube and Black Sea countries, including Ukraine, sustainable recovery of sturgeon populations will not be possible.