News & Media

On Tuesday 9 April 2019, the EU project We Pass – facilitating fish migration and conservation at the Iron Gates – was kicked-off in the Hotel Aquastar, Kladovo (Serbia).

Vienna, 28 October 2018 (Press Release) - Ten countries along the Danube (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine) join forces in an EU-funded project to conserve endangered migratory fish species in the Danube river basin by identifying and improving access to habitats and promoting the establishment of ecological corridors.

Vienna, 10 July 2018 (Press Release) - An international event took place on 9th and 10th July in Vienna within the framework of the Austrian Presidency of the EU. In attendance were 50 experts from national administrations, EU and international institutions, academia and NGO representatives, who can all potentially provide the long-term framework of action indispensable for the conservation of sturgeon stocks in Europe.

With its Sturgeon Strategy, adopted in December at the ICPDR Ordinary Meeting (now available for download), the ICPDR is contributing to the effort ensuring the survival and recovery of sturgeons in the Danube River Basin. A first follow-up step is the organization of a Sturgeon Conference under the upcoming Austrian EU Presidency next July in Vienna. The event is organized jointly by the ICPDR and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism (BMNT).

On 23 September 2016, the opening ceremony of the hatchery station of the EU project LIFE Sterlet was held on the Danube Island in Vienna.
The ICPDR has been one of the first organisations to advocate the protection of this flagship species, raise awareness for the threat to see Danube sturgeons become totally extinct and support projects and initiatives such as LIFE Sterlet.

Danube Basin, 21 May 2016. World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) is held on May 21 and will bring together more than 1,500 organizations, featuring more than 350 events worldwide.

Belene, 18 November 2014. WWF has released some 5,000 sterlets into the Danube River today as part of a 50,000-strong sturgeon restocking programme. This is the first restocking of endangered sturgeons performed by a non-government organization in Bulgaria, after years of scientific research, climatic and biological challenges.

Bucharest, 28 Oct 2013. The "Sturgeon 2020", a strategy and program for the protection and rehabilitation of the Danube sturgeons, was published by the Danube Sturgeon Task Force.

Danube Basin, 29 June 2013. Activities for kids, tours with wildlife guides, open days at water research facilities: Danube Day is colourful and diverse. On June 29, you can join tens of thousands of people throughout the Danube River Basin and celebrate the most successful river festival in the world.

Sofia, 1 May 2011. In order to protect endangered sturgeon species, Bulgaria decided to ban sturgeon fishing in May 2011. Romania was the first country to implement a sturgeon fishing ban in the Danube in 2006 and is now followed by its southern neighbour.