A chronological overview of the ban on sturgeon fishing in the Black Sea

Although the 27 species of sturgeon have been classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for several years now, and their need for protection has never been greater, legislation to protect sturgeon from overfishing -one of the major causes of their decline-  has been relatively late to be adopted.

Huso huso species cought 1982 in Sozopol, Bulgaria

Overfishing- among the leading causes of sturgeon decline in the Black Sea

Sturgeons have existed for at least 200 million years, but they are now more at risk of extinction than ever, mainly because of overfishing and poaching.

The main reason behind overfishing and poaching is the high economic value of the caviar produced by female sturgeons, and to a lesser extent their flesh. The extremely high price of caviar has encouraged the development of criminal networks involved in illegal fishing and resale on the markets, which in turn has perpetuated the phenomenon of overfishing and poaching.

This phenomenon has been studied for a long time, and as early as the beginning of the 20th century, scientific research showed that sturgeon populations were declining in the Black Sea basin. With the accumulation of studies indicating a decline in sturgeon populations throughout Europe over the course of the 20th century, the issue of conserving the various species of sturgeon has become increasingly urgent. Starting from the premise that “all sturgeon species extant in the Danube River basin are relict of once very widespread populations”, it was now necessary to provide a legal response to the problem of overfishing.

An early acknowledgement by the international community, but a late translation into serious measures

The Romanian doctor of natural sciences, Grigore Antipa (1867 - 1944), a specialist of the Black Sea and the Danube, was one of the first to call for international cooperation in this area, with his keen understanding of the issues surrounding biodiversity and species conservation, and his pioneering awareness that environmental policies were best conducted on a transnational scale. As early as 1933, transnational sturgeon conservation programmes were being discussed at the Mediterranean Science Commission.In fact, Romania was already ahead of the other countries bordering the Black Sea at that time, as it had already been applying limits on sturgeon fishing for over 40 years. 

However, it was not until the end of the 20th century that a real movement was observed at international level to protect sturgeons.

One of the first international agreements signed was the Ramsar Convention in 1971, which adopted an approach to the conservation and sound management of wetlands without specifically targeting biodiversity or sturgeons.The Bern Convention, which was signed in 1979 and came into force in 1982, was the first to propose the protection of European natural habitats and the species that inhabit them. In 2007, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention adopted an action plan for the conservation and restoration of the European sturgeon (Acipenser Sturio), involving the signatory countries covering most of the species' historical and current distribution area. The Danube river basin, a crucial breeding ground for sturgeon, is protected by the Danube River Protection Convention (DRPC), which was signed in 1994 and came into force in 1998. This instrument confers legal protection on an area shared by several countries, and calls for sustainable and reasonable management within this area.

Lastly, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which has been in force since 1975, was not until relatively recently involved in the protection of sturgeons. It was only in 1997, at the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP), that international trade in sturgeons was regulated. To prevent the overfishing of sturgeon and the products obtained from them (caviar, meat or skin), all the States parties (184+ the European Union) are implementing CITES permits and certificates for this type of products. This system allows for standardised labelling and, above all, improved traceability to prevent trade in illegal products that could endanger the survival of these threatened species. Despite these measures, a number of investigations have shown that products, particularly caviar, are frequently sold with CITES certificates that do not correspond to their true origin, or which were in fact obtained from illegal sturgeon fishing.

Other protection measures also exist in European legislation. In particular, the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC aims to preserve the different types of habitat that are ‘coastal habitats, shallow freshwater habitats, and watercourses’. And sturgeons are mentioned in this directive as a species for which the creation of such protected habitat areas is justified. However, this directive concerns the Danube in the relevant EU countries, but not the entire Black Sea basin. Another European directive, 2000/60/EC on protection measures for aquatic habitats and water quality, addresses the problems of the various sources of pollution, but does not specifically tackle the notions of overfishing and poaching.

Measures at national level

Leaving aside the directives protecting aquatic areas and habitats, which have generally been transposed into national legislation in the EU Member States but also in Ukraine, we can take a  look at the strict national bans on sturgeon fishing.

In Turkey, restrictions on sturgeon fishing have existed since 1958, with a ban on fishing specimens weighing less than 10kg. A total ban was then applied, later in 1996. Georgia was the first Black Sea nation to introduce a complete ban on sturgeon fishing, back in 1967. For Ukraine, the year 2000 is considered to be the effective date of the ban on sturgeon fishing, which is also protected by the Red Book of Ukraine. In Russia, a ban on sturgeon fishing has been in place since 2005. In Romania, sturgeon fishing was first banned for 10 years in 2006, then the ban was renewed for another five years in 2016. Since then, sturgeon fishing has been banned for an undetermined period in Romania. Finally, Bulgaria was the last country on the Black Sea to adopt a law banning sturgeon fishing for a period of 5 years in 2011, renewed for a further 5 years in 2016 and again in 2021.

Efforts still to be made

However, the legal measures taken to protect wild sturgeon from fishing do not seem to be sufficient. In fact, many sturgeon are still caught either by accident, in the form of bycatch, or sometimes deliberately and illegally. It is also difficult to know to what extent sturgeon are caught accidentally, as data is sometimes difficult to obtain from fishermen.

As part of the BSB00172 SturNet project under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin programme, co-funded by the European Union, we are researching and collecting data on the presence and identification of sturgeons in the Black Sea. As Grigore Antipa was already doing in 1933, we believe and demonstrate that cooperation on a transnational scale is the best way to respond to the challenges of biodiversity, particularly in the case of sturgeons in an international catchment area such as the Black Sea. The legal efforts involved in banning sturgeon fishing in the Black Sea must be continued in the direction of habitat conservation and protection, thanks in particular to the data that the SturNet project will be able to provide to political decision-makers.

Article author: Arthur Fertier, IVY volunteer

References:

^[1] Bocaniala, T. (2016). The Contribution of Criminal-Law Means to Saving the Sturgeon from the Danube and Black Sea. Journal of Danubian Studies and Research, 6(2).

^[1] Strat, D., & Gheorghe, I. F. (2023). Conservation status and effectiveness of the national and international policies for the protection and conservation of sturgeons in the Danube River and Black Sea Basin. Diversity, 15(4), 568.

^[1] Ministère de l’Aménagement du territoire et de la Décentralisation. (2022, November 29). Projet de plan national d’action pour l’esturgeon 2020-2029. Consultations Publiques. https://www.consultations-publiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/projet-de-plan-national-d-action-pour-l-esturgeon-a2115.html

^[1] CITES. (n.d.). Les esturgeons et la CITES. cites.org. Retrieved July 1, 2025, from https://cites.org/fra/prog/sturgeon.php

^[1] Bocaniala T, op. cit.

^[1]Strat, D., & Gheorghe, I , op. cit.

^[1]Bocaniala T, op. cit.

^[1] WWF Caucasus. (n.d.). Rioni River Sturgeons. https://wwf.panda.org/. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/sturgeon_factsheet_rioni.pdf

^[1]Bocaniala T, op. cit.

^[1] Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en Natuur. (2021, June 18). Romania bans wild sturgeon fishing indefinitely. Nieuwsbericht | Agroberichten Buitenland. https://www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl/actueel/nieuws/2021/05/25/romania-bans-wild-sturgeon-fishing-indefinitely#:~:text=This%20March%2C%20environment%20minister%20Barna,But%20it%20is%20not%20enough.

 ^[1] Bulgaria Extends Ban on Sturgeon Fishing in Danube River, Black Sea by Five Years. (2020, December 23). Bulgarian News Agency. https://www.bta.bg/en/news//48724-Bulgaria-Extends-Ban-on-Sturgeon-Fishing-in-Danube-River-Black-Sea-by-Five-Year