Evaluate of Conservation Strategies for Endangered Sturgeons (Acipenseridae)

Abstract

Sturgeons have been living in natural waters of Europe, Asia and the Northern America for 200 million years. While they were abundant in lakes and rivers up to mid-twentieth century in the Northern Hemisphere nowaday their stocks are highly endangered. The decline of stocks are resulted from environmental degradation such as construction of dams on the rivers and restricting water flows, overfishing and water pollution, which become unfavorable to migration and reproduction of sturgeons. Several protective measures have been instituted in many countries; such as fishing regulations, habitat rehabilitation, stock enhancement and listing of all sturgeons under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). In this paper, the conservation strategies for sturgeons in the world and Turkey discussed and the efficiency of the protective measures evaluated.