A species of sturgeon, extinct from the Danube

One species of sturgeon has disappeared from the Danube, and the others are on the verge of extinction, with the continuous loss of freshwater biodiversity and the degradation of rivers all over the globe, essential for people and nature, reveals a reassessment of the situation of species at risk of extinction (List Red), published on Thursday by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and mentioned by WWF.

One species, the ship sturgeon, has now been declared extinct in the Danube, the last refuge of the species in the EU, marking the rare disappearance of a species protected by the EU Habitats Directive throughout the Union. In fact, after the Birds and Habitats Directives came into force in 1979 and 1992, so far only one species of bird and one subspecies of ibex had become extinct in the EU.

“Sturgeon species are linked to our culture and cuisine. For centuries, they have supported fishing communities across the continent, but now their future in Europe hangs in the balance,” said Beate Striebel-Greiter, WWF Lead, Global Sturgeon Initiative.

“The ship sturgeon’s extinction from the Danube proves the urgency of implementing the Pan-European Sturgeon Action Plan, including measures to ensure upstream and downstream migration. There are no excuses for the current lack of action and no one else to blame: if European governments and EU institutions do not act now to restore river connectivity and to protect and restore sturgeon habitats in key rivers, the extinction of other sturgeon species will be their responsibility,” added Striebel-Greiter.

All 26 remaining sturgeon and paddlefish species are threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List update, which confirmed the extinction of the Chinese paddlefish and the disappearance of the Yangtze sturgeon in the wild, as well as the increase threat level for seven other species around the globe.

WWF stated: “We unanimously request the states in the sturgeon distribution area and the consuming countries to stop turning a blind eye to the disappearance of the sturgeon”.