Rare sighting: European sturgeon discovered in the chalk lake!

Rare sighting: European sturgeon discovered in the chalk lake!

In the chalk lake in Lower Saxony, a rare fish was spotted that makes the hearts of nature lovers beat faster: European sturgeon. A diving video that was recently shared on social networks shows this impressive animal and has attracted a lot of attention. Special features of the Kreideese, which is known as a popular diving area, include the deepest mailbox in Germany. The video that was spread on Instagram not only amazes, but also numerous questions about the identity of the rare fish. According to HNA, the European sturgeon in Germany is almost extinct. Historically it was spread in large rivers such as the Elbe, the Rhine, the Oder and the Eider.

A look back into history shows that the sturgeon was of great importance for the domestic fish fauna before overfishing, caviar production, water pollution and river expansion led to a dramatic decline in the stocks. The last natural inventory in Germany disappeared from the Eider in 1969. Nowadays, disturbances are only occasionally trapped in the mouths of the North and Baltic Sea, but mostly these are exposed or escaped specimens. Despite these challenges, numerous authorities and nature conservation organizations have been actively involved in the resettlement of the interference since the 2000s, as can be derived from 1und1.

resettlement projects in the focus

The resettlement of European interference is a complex matter. Sturgeons are durable animals that only become sexually mature between the ages of 12 and 16. The Federal Office for Nature Conservation (BFN) has been supporting research, breeding and resettlement projects for sturgeon since 1996. In cooperation with the Leibniz Institute for Water Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the Society for the Rescue of the Sturgeon (GRS), promising approaches have developed. For example, a parent's population consisted of genetically tested animals and forms the basis for the return of this type of fish in its traditional waters.

Currently, this inventory comprises more than 400 animals between the ages of 6 and 13, which are kept in large breeding facilities. This places high demands on the posture facilities, especially since sexually mature sturgeons become over 1.8 meters long and can live over 100 years. The transfer of the inventory to new keeping facilities in Geesthacht is planned. The future of this impressive fish species is ensured by targeted offspring and possible wild catches of returning disturbances to build a stable stock.

The viewing of the European interference in the chalk lake is a ray of hope for conservationists and an impressive sign of the efforts to maintain this threatened fish. The question remains whether such positive developments can also become a reality in other waters and regions of Germany. The coming years will show whether it will be possible to bring the sturgeon back to the domestic waters and thus make a valuable contribution to biodiversity.