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Rare sighting: European sturgeon discovered in the chalk lake!
A rare European sturgeon was filmed in the Kreidesee in Lower Saxony. The species is considered almost extinct and is being reintroduced.
Rare sighting: European sturgeon discovered in the chalk lake!
A rare fish was spotted in the Kreidesee in Lower Saxony that makes the hearts of nature lovers beat faster: the European sturgeon. A diving video recently shared on social media shows this impressive animal and has attracted a lot of attention. Special features of the Kreidesee, which is known as a popular diving area, include the deepest mailbox in Germany. The video, which was shared on Instagram, not only amazes, but also raises numerous questions about the identity of the rare fish. According to HNA, the European sturgeon is considered almost extinct in Germany. Historically it was common 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 to the local fish fauna before overfishing, caviar production, water pollution and river expansion led to a dramatic decline in stocks. The last natural population in Germany disappeared from the Eider in 1969. Nowadays, sturgeons are only occasionally caught in the mouths of the North and Baltic Seas, but most of them are released or escaped specimens. Despite these challenges, numerous authorities and nature conservation organizations have been actively involved in the reintroduction of sturgeons since the 2000s, as can be seen from 1und1.
Focus on resettlement projects
The reintroduction of the European sturgeon is a complex matter. Sturgeons are long-lived animals that do not reach sexual maturity until they are 12 to 16 years old. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) has been supporting research, breeding and reintroduction projects for the sturgeon since 1996. In collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the Society for the Rescue of Sturgeon (GRS), promising approaches have been developed. In this way, a parent stock was built up, which consists of genetically tested animals and forms the basis for the return of this fish species to its native waters.
This population currently includes more than 400 animals between the ages of 6 and 13, which are kept in large breeding facilities. This places high demands on the husbandry facilities, especially since sexually mature sturgeons are over 1.8 meters long and can live over 100 years. The plan is to transfer the stock to new holding facilities in Geesthacht. The future of this impressive fish species is ensured through targeted breeding and possible wild catches of returning sturgeon in order to build up a stable population.
The sighting of the European sturgeon in the Chalk Lake is a ray of hope for conservationists and an impressive sign of the efforts to preserve this endangered fish species. The question remains whether such positive developments can also become a reality in other waters and regions in Germany. The coming years will show whether it will be possible to sustainably bring the sturgeon back into local waters and thus make a valuable contribution to biodiversity.