Our colleagues from Hungary are continuing their work at the building site of the sturgeon hatchery, hoping that the progress will allow them to start raising their own broodstock as soon as possible.

Here is the current status of the construction works:

Meanwhile, two pilot restocking actions for sterlet hatchlings have been conducted this year by the Hungarian partner, NAIK-HAKI at Baja and Ercsi with two times of 2500 individuals (5000 total) released into the Danube wearing yellow individual tags marked with "EU MEASURES" and an individual number for later identification. In case of catch, the fishers are kindly asked to contact the researchers or the local angling association while gently releasing the fish back to the river.

The entire story was covered online in the national magazine of The Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-Branch Organization (MA-HAL) in which they presented the MEASURES Project as a positive example for the fishers’ community. Here you can find the Hungarian article: http://new.magyarhal.hu/UserFiles/files/halaszati_lapok/2019/Hal%C3%A1szati%20Lapok%202019-06.pdf

These restockings provide direct support for the wild populations. In this activity, the juveniles are reared under artificial and safe conditions to one year of age, before being released into the river.

We are looking forward to monitoring the released sturgeons’ growth rate and tracking their routes, the evaluation being scheduled in April 2020.