Threatened sturgeons in the Hungarian section of the Danube
Abstract
Sturgeons had played an important role in the history of Hungarian fisheries in the Middle Ages, but due to over-fishing, followed by extensive river regulations and deterioration of habitats have caused a decrease in populations, and two of five native species became extinct at the end of the 20th century in the Carpathian basin. The conservation status of the sturgeon populations and the main factors of their population dynamics in the Middle Danube were evaluated according to the new international efforts. Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is only common species caught for commercial and recreational purposes. Long-term data of commercial fishery were analysed and a moderate correlation was confirmed between the annual sterlet catches and the fluctuation of the hydrological regime of the Danube. Estimation of population recruitment demonstrated a low efficiency of restocking activity as a conservation measure for sterlet.
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