Hope for sturgeon reintroduction

“The water quality of the River Rhine has improved and might again suit the critically endangered European sturgeon A. sturio L, which was extirpated from the river by 1950. This study describes the tracking of 43 juvenile hatchery-reared A. sturio, in the Dutch part of the Lower Rhine and Delta . . . Redirection of the main flow of the River Rhine, imposed by the sea lock ‘Haringvlietdam’, led the sturgeons into the Rotterdam harbor . . . It is concluded that sustainable fisheries in the North Sea and cooperation with the fisheries sector is a critical prerequisite for a reintroduction program. Potential habitat improvements for rehabilitation of the European sturgeon in the River Rhine can be achieved by adapted management of the sea lock. Reconnecting the estuary to the North Sea will increase habitat availability in the transitional zone between fresh and saltwater (i.e. acclimatization area) and create more favorable estuarine conditions in the Delta.”