Few species on Earth are closer to extinction than sturgeons – these giant, prehistoric fish have survived for more than 200 million years, yet today they rank at the top of the list of critically endangered species.
In a bold step to halt their decline, Europe’s first floating facility dedicated to sturgeon reproduction was inaugurated today in Vienna. The 66-meter-long vessel, MS Negrelli, now docked in the Danube city, will serve as a live gene bank for breeding juvenile sturgeon from the four native species still found in the river: beluga, Russian sturgeon, sterlet, and stellate sturgeon.
Under the project, around 1.6 million juvenile sturgeon are expected to be raised and released into the Danube by 2030.
The urgency behind this restocking effort lies in the fact that sturgeons, these living fossils, are sliding alarmingly toward extinction due to habitat loss, blocked migration routes, and the illegal caviar trade. Despite strict fishing bans, poaching and black market demand continue to threaten their survival.
The project’s importance is also reflected in the strong political backing it has received at the federal level in Austria. Norbert Totschnig, Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Climate and Environment, Regional Affairs and Water Management (BMLUK), and Peter Hanke, Federal Minister of Finance, Economy, Labour, International Affairs, and Innovation, both welcomed the initiative, highlighting its value for biodiversity and for protecting endangered species in the Danube region.
The launch event was also attended by Monika Mörth, Head of the Water Management Directorate (BML), Ulli Simma, Vienna City Councilor, Hans-Peter Hasenbichler, CEO of Viadonau (Austria’s Waterway Authority), and Eva Schulev-Steindl, Rector of the University of BOKU in Vienna.
Sturgeons are indicators of healthy, free-flowing rivers – which are essential for our drinking water, fisheries, flood protection, and recreation. “Their survival reflects the broader well-being of the Danube, Europe’s second-largest river,” shared Andreas Beckmann, CEO of WWF Central and Eastern Europe, at the inauguration. “By protecting sturgeons, we are also safeguarding ecosystems that support biodiversity and the livelihoods of resilient communities along the river,” Beckmann added.
The launch of the reproduction center is part of the EU-funded LIFE-Boat4Sturgeon initiative, coordinated by the University of BOKU in Vienna. WWF is part of the international partnership, along with Austria’s BMLUK, the City of Vienna, Revivo in Slovenia, MATE in Hungary, and Viadonau – which provided the former transport vessel MS Negrelli. The ship has been converted over recent months to host 35 tanks for breeding the Danube’s four sturgeon species.
Starting this summer, visitors will be able to engage directly with the project through guided tours aboard the MS Negrelli.
A cross-border effort to save these valuable species
While MS Negrelli will remain docked in Vienna, the journey of the sturgeons bred here will continue. Three of the species raised in Vienna will travel to the Black Sea and spend several years in saltwater before returning to the Danube. Since the Iron Gates dam remains an impassable barrier for sturgeons, these three species will only be released downstream. In the Lower Danube region, WWF is active in Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine, working to give young sturgeon a chance at survival through local conservation efforts, anti-poaching actions, and monitored releases.
“We’re incredibly proud to be part of this effort,” said Beate Striebel of the WWF Sturgeon Initiative. “But releasing sturgeon into the Danube is only one piece of the story. In the Lower Danube, we work closely with fishers, local communities, and fishery authorities to ensure these young sturgeon get the best possible start. The risks are high – from accidental catches in fishing nets to natural predators – but some will make it! And those survivors will help bring the species back from the brink of extinction,” she added.
“Only with a multinational, interdisciplinary, and long-term approach can we save these enigmatic species from disappearing,” emphasized Thomas Friedrich, project manager from the University of BOKU, pointing to the multiple stress factors and the long time it takes for these fish to reach maturity.
“Over the years, countries in the Lower Danube – Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine – have made efforts to support sturgeon populations in various quantities and through diverse actions involving state authorities, private entities, research institutions, and universities. The 1.6 million sturgeon that will be released through the LIFE-Boat4Sturgeon project, many with parents originating from these countries, add to the more than 1 million previously stocked by these nations. The results may not look spectacular at first glance, but we now know that the Russian sturgeon, at least – which had almost disappeared from the Danube – is slowly starting to recover,” said Cristina Munteanu, National Coordinator for Sturgeon Conservation at WWF-Romania.