Project

Establishing a Centralised Gene Bank for Threatened Sturgeon Species

Initiative
Duration
2023 - 2024
Location
Romania
Species protected
Russian Sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedti
Stellate Sturgeon Acipenser stellatus
Beluga Huso huso

Project objectives

This project aims to preserve the remaining genetic diversity of three Danube sturgeon species by screening the genes of sturgeon present in Romanian caviar farms and selecting rare genotypes to include in a centralised gene bank. Additionally, a portion of these animals will be tagged and released into the Danube as a demonstration and to maintain their genotypes in the wild.

This project is implemented by University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.

Threats

Poaching

Reduced genetic diversity