Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission Helsinki Commission HELCOM 40-2019 Helsinki, Finland, 6-7 March 2019 Document title Draft HELCOM Action Plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon Code 3-4-Rev.1 Category DEC Agenda Item 3 - Matters arising from the subsidiary bodies Submission date 07.03.2019 Submitted by Executive Secretary Reference This document has been revised in agreement with the outcome of HELCOM 40-2019 to incorporate amendments in response to the questions and suggested changes provided by the EU in document 3- 20. In addition the term of the plan has been updated to reflect that the plan came into force in 2019, after which follows that the end year was also amended with one year. Background This document contains the final version of the HELCOM Action Plan for the protection and recovery of the Baltic sturgeon, prepared by authors from Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The development of a Baltic Sea Sturgeon Action Plan was part of the HELCOM PROJECT “HELCOM STURGEON REMEDIATION” approved by the HELCOM Heads of Delegation 39th Meeting (HOD 39/2012). The Baltic Sea Action Plan states that Contracting Parties should join and/or support Poland and Germany in re-introducing Baltic sturgeon to its potential spawning rivers, and “By 2015, to have the re-introduction program for Baltic sturgeon in place, and - as a long term goal, after their successful re-introduction has been attained - to have best natural reproduction, and populations within safe genetic limits in each potential river”. Poland and Germany informed HELCOM State & Conservation regularly about their progress in re-introducing the species into the historic spawning rivers (in particular Odra- and Vistula river systems). In 2013, EUSBSR granted funding to structure and prepare work on a larger scale re-introduction project, which would address the issue through mutual cooperation of nature conservation and fisheries. Project partners from Germany, Poland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia drafted a project proposal for further funding. Unfortunately this funding application was unsuccessful. Nevertheless the project continued after preparatory workshops held in Warsaw, Berlin and Vilnius. Thereafter the draft HELCOM Action Plan was compiled by the members of the project group without additional financial support. State &Conservation 8-2018 welcomed the work, and in principle endorsed the action plan, but the Contracting Parties could provide further comments by 1 September 2018 to Jörn Gessner ([email protected]). State and Conservation 9-2018 endorsed the HELCOM Action Plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon, as presented by Germany, and agreed to submit the plan to HOD 55-2018 for approval. HOD 55-2018 considered and approved the HELCOM Action Plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon and agreed to submit it to HELCOM 40-2019 for adoption. HELCOM 40-2019, 3-4 Action requested The Meeting is invited to consider and adopt the HELCOM Action Plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon. HELCOM-Action Plan for the protection and recovery of the Baltic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus Action Plan for the period of 20198 - 20298 State 25 September 2018 1 HELCOM 40-2019, 3-4 This Action Plan was drafted and compiled by the members of the HELCOM PG on Baltic sturgeon restoration in response to a request by HELCOM habitat in 2014 to provide a harmonized outline for the restoration works to bring back the locally extinct Baltic sturgeon (A. oxyrinchus). Authors: Jörn Gessner1,2, Gerd-Michael Arndt 2,3, Andrzej Kapusta4, Sergey 5, Alexey Gushin6, Andrej Pilinkovskij7, Justas Povliūnas7, Ruta Medne8, Santa Purvina8 , Meelis Tambets9, Peter Rask Möller10 Editor: Jörn Gessner The PG members are: Chair: Jörn Gessner, Leibniz -Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany and Society to Save the Sturgeon e.V., Rostock, Germany National representatives: Gerd-Michael Arndt, Regional Research Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Mecklenburg- Vorpommern, Rostock, Germany Andrzej Kapusta4, Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute, Olsztyn, Poland Sergey Shibayev5, Kaliningrad State University, Kaliningrad, Russian Federation Alexey Gushin6, Atlantic Branch of the Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Science, Kaliningrad, Russian Federation Justas Poviliūnas7, Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Vilnius, Lithuania Andrej Pilinkovskij7, Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Vilnius, Lithuania Ruta Medne8, Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia Santa Purvina 8, Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia Meelis Tambets9, Wildlife Estonia, Tartu, Estonia Peter Rask Möller10, State Museum for Natural History, Copenhagen, Denmark The PG for the restoration of the Baltic Sea sturgeon was temporarily supported by Marco Millardi (PhD) from the HELCOM Secretariat. To be cited: Gessner et al. (2018) HELCOM-Action Plan for the protection and recovery of Baltic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus in the Baltic Sea area 2 HELCOM 40-2019, 3-4 - Content 1. Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... 5 2. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 7 3. Description of the species ............................................................................................... 9 3.1. Zoogeography ................................................................................................................ 10 3.2. Morphology ................................................................................................................... 11 3.3. Meristics ......................................................................................................................... 12 3.4. Peculiarities .................................................................................................................... 12 3.5. Coloration ....................................................................................................................... 12 3.6. Differentiation from other species in the region ........................................................... 12 3.7. Genetics .......................................................................................................................... 14 3.7.2. Microsatellites ............................................................................................................. 15 3.8. Characterization of broodstock and offspring ............................................................... 15 4. Life history and habitat links ......................................................................................... 16 4.1. Life-cycle ......................................................................................................................... 16 4.2. Diet ................................................................................................................................. 16 4.3. Size and growth .............................................................................................................. 17 4.4. Sexual Maturity .............................................................................................................. 17 4.5. Spawning ........................................................................................................................ 17 4.6. Habitat requirements ..................................................................................................... 18 4.7. Larval development ........................................................................................................ 18 4.8. Juveniles and subadults .................................................................................................. 18 4.9. Water quality (Temperature, Oxygen, Toxins) ............................................................... 19 5. Past range in the Baltic range states ............................................................................. 19 5.1. Past range ....................................................................................................................... 19 5.2. Reasons for decline, and drawbacks for population recovery ....................................... 21 5.3. Mitigation options .......................................................................................................... 26 6. Catchment status ........................................................................................................... 27 6.1. Oder River ...................................................................................................................... 27 6.2. Vistula River .................................................................................................................... 28 6.3. Pregolya, Angrapa .......................................................................................................... 29 6.4. Nemunas River with Neris and Šventoji rivers ............................................................... 30 6.5. Rivers Venta and Daugava .............................................................................................. 31 6.6. Narva River ....................................................................................................................