Restoration of Baltic Sturgeon

The joint project between Estonia and Finland (LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT; project No. 101074368; LIFE21-NAT-EE-LIFE Baltic Sturgeon) began on 1 September 2022. The project is lead by RMK with Wildlife Estonia and Natural Resources Institute Finland as partners.

The aim of the project is fulfilling the HELCOM action plan for the protection and recovery of the Baltic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) for the period of 2019-2029 in Estonia.

Additional information:

• Mart Thalfeldt (RMK) mart.thalfeldt@rmk.ee
• Meelis Tambets (ELK) meelis.tambets@gmail.com

The tasks for achieving that goal are the following:

1. Increasing biological diversity in Natura 2000 areas in the Baltic Sea by increasing sturgeon populations in the Gulf of Finland and the coast of Western Estonia;
2. Fulfilling the action plan for the protection and restoration of the population of the Baltic sturgeon;
3. Participating in international cooperation related to the protection of the Baltic sturgeon and its habitats;
4. Production of basic population material;
5. Rearing juvenile fish with high fitness and releasing them in the Narva and Pärnu Rivers to restore local populations;
6. Developing measures for the reduction of by-catches of protected sturgeons;
7. Developing methods for monitoring sturgeons and conducting studies.

The LIFE project will end in 2027 and has a budget of 1.1 million euros, with 0.8 million euros having been granted by the European Commission. The budget for Estonia’s activities is 1 million euros. In addition to the European Commission, the Ministry for the Environment and RMK are funding Estonia’s activities with 63,255 euros each. The activities of Wildlife Estonia are co-financed by the Environmental Investment Centre with 116,834 euros.

Co-financers of Estonia’s activities: