22 July 2022

Press Release

For immediate release

Calls to save sturgeon as 'living fossil' fish slip towards extinction

Almost two-thirds of sturgeon species now Critically Endangered with one confirmed Extinct, according to latest IUCN assessment
Sturgeon are among largest freshwater fish on Earth and have changed little since the age of the dinosaurs
Perilous state of sturgeon underlines need for ambitious global biodiversity deal with protection for freshwater species and ecosystems

International conservation organisations are calling on governments to take urgent action to avert the loss of sturgeon and paddlefish as the world’s first comprehensive assessment in over 13 years, released today, confirms all 26 remaining species are now threatened with extinction.

Carried out by members of the IUCN Sturgeon Specialist Group (SSG), the new assessment highlights that almost two-thirds of sturgeon and paddlefish species are now critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – making them the world’s most threatened group of species. The assessment also officially declares the extinction of the Chinese paddlefish, the extinction in the wild of the Yangtze sturgeon, and the regional extinction of ship sturgeon in the Danube.

Poaching sturgeon for the illegal trade in wild caught caviar and meat is one of the leading causes of their demise. Last year, WWF revealed that one-third of caviar and meat products sold in the lower Danube region were sold illegally. Hydropower dams blocking their migration routes, unsustainable mining destroying their spawning grounds, climate change and habitat loss are other major threats to the species.

In the UK, sturgeon were once a common sight in rivers and coastal waters, but the last officially recorded river capture was in 1993 in the River Tywi (Afon Tywi) in Wales. The construction of weirs and dams blocking spawning migration routes contributed to their decline. Some individual fish have since been seen around UK coasts, most likely having travelled from reintroduction projects in France and Germany. It is hoped that through restoration efforts native sturgeon could return to UK waters.

Sturgeon are very sensitive to environmental pressures due to their slow growth and are a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem. The perilous state of sturgeon highlights the urgent need for an ambitious global framework for nature to be agreed upon by governments at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 in Montreal later this year. In particular, the new deal must prioritise freshwater species and ecosystems, which have invariably been overlooked despite being among the most at risk.

Dave Tickner, Chief Freshwater Adviser at WWF, said:

“Sturgeon have managed to survive almost unchanged since the age of the dinosaurs, so it is incredibly sad that these living fossils are being pushed to the brink of extinction by humans. The perilous state of sturgeon globally, as well as the loss of sturgeon from UK waters some time ago, demonstrates what happens when we neglect the health of our rivers and urgent action is needed to secure the future of these fascinating fish.

“Freshwater habitats are in catastrophic decline in the UK and around the world. As well as acting to restore our rivers at home, the UK government must ensure that freshwater species and ecosystems are prioritised as part of an ambitious nature-positive deal at COP15 in Montreal in December.”

Arne Ludwig, Chair of the IUCN Sturgeon Specialist Group, said:

“The world’s failure to safeguard sturgeon species is an indictment of governments across the globe, who are failing to sustainably manage their rivers and live up to their commitments to conserve these iconic fish and halt the global loss of nature.”

“These shocking – but sadly not surprising – assessments mean that sturgeon retain their unwanted title as the world’s most threatened group of species.”

Despite the concerning picture overall, the IUCN update does reveal some success stories. Following 30 years of restocking, young Adriatic sturgeon – a species that was previously thought to be extinct in the wild – have been documented in Italy and the incredibly rare Amu Darya shovelnose sturgeon has also been found in Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, long-term conservation efforts in North America have helped to stabilise and increase some sturgeon populations, including the white sturgeon in the Fraser River in the US.

Paolo Bronzi, President of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society, said:

“These successes show that we can reverse the declines in sturgeon species as long as institutions and governments prioritise their conservation and join forces with communities and conservationists to tackle the threats to them and their rivers.”

“By saving sturgeon, we will save so much more – because enhancing the health of sturgeon rivers benefits all the people and nature that rely on them.”

WWF, IUCN and the World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS) are working with partners to safeguard sturgeon through scientific research, awareness raising and directly engaging in conservation projects to bridge the gap between science and management.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About sturgeon:

Sturgeon are among the largest freshwater fish on Earth and can reach up to 8 metres in length and weigh over 1.5 tonnes
Sturgeon can live over 100 years and take up to 15 years to mature
Sturgeon originated about 200 million years ago and have undergone little change since, leading them to be described as ‘living fossils’
Sturgeon can migrate up to 3,000 kilometres to spawn
Sturgeon spawn in rivers in the summer then return to the sea
Sturgeon feed on bottom invertebrates - insects, insect larvae, worms and molluscs, and occasionally on bottom fish

The IUCN global sturgeon reassessment published today reveals that 100% of the world’s remaining 26 sturgeon species are now at risk of extinction, up from 85% in 2009. The Yangtze sturgeon has moved from Critically Endangered to Extinct in the Wild, 17 species are now Critically Endangered, three are Endangered and five are Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The reassessment has also confirmed the extinction of the Chinese paddlefish.

WWF's Global Sturgeon initiative aims to save the remaining sturgeon species. WWF works with the authorities to tackle poaching and stop the black market in caviar. We work with local fishing communities along the Danube in Bulgaria, helping to build alternative livelihoods and release captive bred sturgeon to boost numbers. We are working with governments to protect key habitats - including the recent protected areas in Georgia and on the Danube in Bulgaria – as well as advocating for governments to implement conservation plans already in place.

WWF’s Living Planet Report found that freshwater biodiversity is declining far faster than that in our oceans or forests. Freshwater species populations have seen a steep decline of 84% since the 1970s.

According to World’s Forgotten Fishes, a report from 16 global conservation organisations, nearly one in three freshwater species is now threatened with extinction.