Anadromous sturgeons of Russia: prospects for fishing

Abstract

The aim is to reveal the current status of anadromous sturgeon populations in Russia against the background of many years of large-scale measures for their restoration and legislative protection of stocks.Material — the results of mathematical modeling of scenarios for the restoration of sturgeon stocks to a stable state sufficient for the resumption of commercial fishing, as well as the results of direct field surveys of the sturgeon population.The results show that with the leveling out of illegal fishing and an increase in the volume of artificially reared juveniles to replenish natural populations, in the perspective of 5–10 years, it is possible to allow the start of commercial sturgeon fishing in the Azov and Amur basins. Expeditionary research in recent years confirms the growth of sturgeon populations’ size in the Sea of Azov and the Amur River. For the sturgeons of the Volga-Caspian basin, the prospect of restoring a stable population is more distant and requires a significant increase in the volume of artificial reproduction.Conclusion: the number of sturgeons in the Sea of Azov and the Amur River basin has been steadily growing in recent years; in the Volga-Caspian basin, the number of Russian sturgeon fluctuates from year to year and its steady growth, as well as decrease, has not yet been observed. Commercial sturgeon fishing in the Azov and Amur basins can be resumed in the near future, provided that the volume of their artificial reproduction is increased and IUU fishing is leveled out.