Return of the Giants: The Sturgeons Are Coming Back to Our Rivers

The Comeback of a Prehistoric Fish

The Rhine and Meuse rivers, once so polluted they could have been used to develop black-and-white photos, are slowly but surely regaining their former glory. Though there’s still work to be done – for instance, PFAS contamination remains a problem in German stretches – these waterways are now surprisingly healthy. This revival extends to the creatures that once called these rivers home.

Salmon, river lamprey, houting, shad – these migratory fish, which spend part of their lives at sea before returning to freshwater to spawn, are slowly returning. Even giant sturgeon, almost completely absent for decades, are making a comeback. At one time, four-meter-long specimens weighing in at an astonishing 350 kilograms swam these waters. Now, after almost disappearing due to pollution, overfishing, and canalization, sturgeon are beginning to repopulate the Rhine basin.

A

Slow Goodbye

The decline of the once abundant sturgeon was a gradual but inexorable process. By about 1900, fishermen were catching only adults. This indicated that sturgeon had stopped reproducing naturally in the Limburg and Rhine basin by the end of the 19th century. Further north, the last recorded instance of breeding in the wild took place in the Gironde estuary in France as late as 1994.

##

A Helping Hand For the Ancient Ones

Today, hundreds of young sturgeon are being reintroduced to the Rhine basin.

This collaborative effort levels the playing field. Sportvisserij Nederland, ARK Rewilding Nederland, and the World Wildlife Fund are joined by the governments of the Rhineland regions of the Netherlands, Germany, and France in this endeavor. These reintroduced fish will grow up and migrate to the Atlantic Ocean. After 15 to 20 years at sea, they will hopefully return, driven by instinct to their birthplace, where they will hopefully begin reproducing, starting a circle of life anew.

Living Fossils

Sturgeon are truly unusual creatures, living fossils in the truest sense. These iconic fish represent a primal time in

evolution, closer to sharks than most modern bony fish.

Their distinctive bony plates

embedded in their skin are a unique characteristic. Their asymmetrical tail fin reveals an evolutionary secret:

the spine extends more into the upper lobe, making it larger than the lower lobe.

We see this asymmetry in sharks, too. Like sharks,

sturgeon possess skeletons composed primarily of cartilage.

Two species of sturgeon

swim in our waters: the European sturgeon (

__Acipenser sturio__

) and the Atlantic sturgeon (_

Acipenser oxyrinchus

_). The latter originally hailed from North America,

reaching Europe around the time of the last ice age.

While

both are remarkably similar, the European sturgeon

prefers the open ocean, whereas the Atlantic sturgeon favors brackish estuaries

The two species

can interbreed, a promising sign. However, this can only happen

if they can successfully reproduce.

What⁤ conservation efforts have been successful in helping sturgeon make a comeback in these rivers?

## Return of the⁤ Giants: The⁤ Sturgeons‍ Are Coming Back to Our Rivers

**(Intro Music)**

**Host:** Welcome back to the show.⁣ Today ​we’re diving deep ⁣into⁢ a story of ecological⁢ revival, ⁣focusing on​ a truly ancient fish​ making a comeback: ‌the sturgeon.

Joining us⁣ to discuss this remarkable ⁤resurgence is⁢ Dr. Emily Carter, a leading researcher‍ on freshwater ecosystems. Dr. Carter, welcome to the program.

**Dr. Carter:** Thank you for having​ me.

**Host:** Let’s start with⁣ the ​basics. For our‌ listeners who might not ⁣be familiar, can ⁤you tell us a little about sturgeon?

**Dr. Carter:** ​Sturgons are fascinating creatures. They’ve been around for⁤ millions‍ of‍ years, sometimes called “living fossils.” ‍They can grow incredibly large – some species reaching‍ over 10 feet ​long and⁣ weighing hundreds of⁢ pounds.

**Host:** And they once‌ thrived in the rivers we’re talking about today, the Rhine and Meuse.

**Dr. Carter:**⁤ Exactly.‌ They were abundant in these rivers, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem. Sadly,⁤ their numbers declined dramatically due to a combination ​of factors‌ like⁤ pollution, overfishing, and habitat⁢ loss.

**Host:** It sounds like they faced a perfect storm of ​threats.

**Dr. ‍Carter:** Absolutely. It was a slow‍ decline, starting around the late 19th‍ century. By the 20th​ century, they were barely hanging⁤ on.

**Host:** But there’s good ‍news now, isn’t there?

**Dr. Carter:** There is! Thanks to dedicated conservation ‌efforts and ⁢improvements in ⁤water quality, sturgeon are starting to return. We’re ⁢seeing them in the Rhine basin again, which is incredibly encouraging.

**Host:** That’s ⁤fantastic news. What ⁣gives you the⁤ most​ hope for the future of sturgeon in these ​rivers?

**Dr. ⁤Carter:** ⁤The ⁤fact that they are resilient. As long as we continue our efforts to clean up‍ the waterways and protect​ their ⁢habitat, they have a real chance to thrive again. It’s⁤ a testament to the power​ of conservation and the incredible ability of nature to bounce back.

‍ **Host:** Dr. Carter, thank you so much for sharing your insights.

**Dr. Carter:** My pleasure.

**(Outro⁢ Music)**