Conservation Status and Effectiveness of the National and International Policies for the Protection and Conservation of Sturgeons in the Danube River and Black Sea Basin

Abstract

Rivers and their watersheds have been subject to various changes, including biodiversity, caused by anthropogenic activities. The Danube River and Black Sea basin overlap the geographic range of six species of anadromous fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. Nowadays, they are endangered or at risk of extinction in the wild due to fragmentation and destruction of natural habitats, blocking their migration to spawning grounds, water pollution, and poaching. This paper presents a review of the historical and current distribution and evolution of the sturgeon populations of sturgeon species in the Danube River basin. Conservation status and measures for species protection, conservation, and restoration at the national, regional, and global levels are presented.

Genetic Characterization of Endangered Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus, Linnaeus 1758) Gene Bank Broodstock, Natural and Cultured Populations in Hungary

“…The primary reasons were already established as the following: there are low numbers of mature sterlets, insufficient evidence of natural reproduction, and the habitat is being fragmented and lost. Similar trends can be observed in other habitats of the species [10][11][12][13][14]. In response to the significant decline in sterlet populations including the Hungarian section of the Danube and its tributaries, several national and international conservation initiatives have been implemented [1,12,13].…”

“…Similar trends can be observed in other habitats of the species [10][11][12][13][14]. In response to the significant decline in sterlet populations including the Hungarian section of the Danube and its tributaries, several national and international conservation initiatives have been implemented [1,12,13].…”

Long-term exposure of endangered Danube sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) to bisphenol A (BPA): growth, behavioral, histological, genotoxic, and hematological evaluation

“…Anadromous migratory Danube sturgeon migrates between the Black Sea and the Danube River. They migrate more than 1200 km upriver, especially to spawn (Strat and Gheorghe 2023 ). It was previously stated that the Danube River, where A. gueldenstaedtii is most frequently reported, contains BPA because it is a very long river passing through the borders (city centers) of many countries (Chiriac et al 2021 ).…”