1

A

2 3 4 B

5 9 14 8 10 6 7 16

13 15

11 12 E

C

F

The sturgeon 17 Figurehead of 18

1 See eagle 8 Eel 15 Houting migratory fish 2 Seal 9 Flounder 16 Shad D 3 Sea bass 10 Smelt 17 Three-spined 4 Twaite shad 11 Sprat sticklebacks 5 Salmon 12 River lamprey 18 Glass eel (Elver) 6 Sea lamprey 13 Sea trout 7 Herring 14 Thinlip mullet

The European Atlantic sturgeon is A Various fish eaters benefit C The sturgeon can become 3 E Sturgeons that are released into permanently. They are bothered the largest fish that belongs in the from a healthy migratory fish meters long and then weighs 300 the Elbe eventually also reach the by barrages and locks, among . Previously, the sturgeon was population. kilos. North Sea. others. Holding the generally present in all the great rivers of dam ajar gives migratory fish a Western Europe, but it died out almost B The sturgeon is a protected D Sturgeons from the Gironde F The has 16 types of new chance. This way, the North everywhere due to water pollution, species and must therefore be also visit the North Sea. A breed- migratory fish, that must be able Sea is connected better to the overfishing, dams and river corrections. released after capture as soon as ing programme with the last to swim between fresh and salt Rhine and . By now, the quality of the water has possible. Please report to research population of European sturgeons water for their reproduction. They improved, but the sturgeon is very institute IMARES or via from the French river Gironde sup- do this the entire year, which is selective. If he makes it, the rivers will [email protected]. plies sturgeons for reintroduction why the Rhine must be in open Illustration: © Jeroen Helmer also be suitable for other migratory fish. in the Gironde, Elbe and Rhine. connection with the North Sea ARK Nature Return of the sturgeon Visit haringvliet.nu Once, the Rhine was the most important habitat of the European Atlantic sturgeon. The majestic fish had its native soil up to 800 kilometres upstream in Germany, went down the Rhine in its youth, to swim via the brackish delta into the North Sea. Pollution and overfishing became fatal for the sturgeon around 1950. By now, the water quality has been largely recovered, and the Haringvliet locks ajar allows for migration from and to the German native soil. Still, the sturgeon will not return on its own. A new generation of sturgeons is necessary, for whom the Rhine again counts as native soil. The organisations ARK Nature, World Wildlife Fund and Royal Dutch Angling Association are working on the return of the sturgeon in the Netherlands through the “Droomfondsproject Haring- vliet” (Dream-Fund project Haringvliet). The sturgeon is the icon for a healthy delta where the transition of fresh to salt water between rivers and seas is recovered.

The coming years we are supporting the European breeding programme for the sturgeon, and we will The Dream-Fund Towards a research the possibilities for a Rhine breeding pro- project Haringvliet dynamic delta gramme. Furthermore, we aim to release a group of tagged young sturgeons once a year. With The Haringvliet is the mouth of the two large The Dream-Fund project Haringvliet focuses, information about the sturgeon, among others in European rivers Rhine and Meuse. It is located in apart from the return of the sturgeon, on five the Oceanium of Zoo, we let the public the province of Zuid-Holland, between Voorne- themes: environmental development, recreation, get to know and experience the sturgeon. Putten and the Hoeksche Waard in the North, fishing, shellfish beds and monitoring. Along the and Goerree-Overflakkee in the South. With the banks of the Haringvliet we work on a natural completion of the Haringvliet dam in 1971, the stream. The water will once more stream in and Haringvliet has been closed off from the sea and out of the natural areas. The tidal nature that THE HAGUE ZUID-HOLLAND the unique delta life came to a standstill. Now the arises, offers food, rest and breeding space for NORTH SEA Haringvliet locks are going ajar, once more the fish (migratory) birds. Also, it offers safe places for fish can migrate between the river and the sea, and to acclimatize on their journey between the sea seawater streams again into the Haringvliet. An and the river. important start for the recovery of the lost delta nature. Cycle paths, footpaths, and look-out points allow ROTTERDAM for everyone to enjoy the unique environment. We ARK Nature, Natuurmonumenten, Royal Dutch work on the recovery of shellfish beds. In front … where Angling Association, Staatsbosbeheer, Birdlife The of the entrance of the Haringvliet, in sea, we are

HARINGVLIET Netherlands and World Wildlife Fund work with creating pilot locations and follow precisely how the sturgeon the Dream-Fund of the Dutch Postcode Lottery for the shellfish are developing. Furthermore, we are BIESBOSCH a more natural Haringvliet. Our ambition: ample engaged in talks with the government and the migrates room for the dynamics of delta nature, migratory fishing industry to agree on what is required for a between fish and birds, that people can enjoy too! healthy fish stock in and around the Haringvliet. ZEELAND Through monitoring, we record the fish and bird the river and populations, what these once were and what we the sea can expect for the future.

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See sturgeons yourself? In Rotterdam Zoo there is the Oceanium, with several European sturgeons. A unique way to see this impressive and rare animal, that normally lives mostly deep in the rivers and seas, up close.