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Add to Preferred Sources An extremely rare ship sturgeon found in the Rioni River by a local fisher. Fishers in the area are collaborating with Fauna & Flora on the monitoring of sturgeon populations. Credit: Irakli Tsulaia Just a few centimeters long, slimy and covered in razor-sharp spines, baby sturgeons look like creatures from one of the Alien movies. But for the people who pull them from the river, these diminutive ugly ducklings of the fish world are a beautiful sight.
All but four of the world's 27 sturgeon species are dangerously close to extinction. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, they are more critically endangered than any other group of species on Earth.
Sturgeons were once widespread throughout all of Europe's major rivers. Sadly, they have been virtually wiped out by a combination of overharvesting, poaching and the loss of traditional spawning grounds. Georgia's Rioni River is one of their last three remaining refuges on the continent.
Since 2017, Fauna & Flora has been working to reverse the decline of the four—possibly five—critically endangered sturgeon species still clinging to survival in the Rioni. Early in 2018, as part of a pilot project, we conducted baseline studies—the very first for Georgia's sturgeons—and set about combating the threats to their survival, in particular poaching and illegal trade.
At the time, very little was known about the status of this sturgeon population compared with those in the Danube and Garonne rivers. There was even uncertainty about whether these fish were still reproducing in the Rioni at all. That question has since been answered with a resounding yes.
The first evidence of recent reproductive success came during that first pilot, when we caught a tiny juvenile fish. It was identified as a critically endangered stellate sturgeon—named for the starlike markings on the flanks of the adult fish. Discovering this miniature marvel was the aquatic equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. The captured juvenile was a pocket-sized symbol of hope for the future of these magnificent, mysterious fish.
Other dramatic discoveries soon followed. In 2020, within the space of less than a month, two specimens of the critically endangered ship sturgeon were caught in the Rioni. Until that point, the species was widely believed to be extinct. This extraordinary fish—whose evolution dates back hundreds of millions of years—had not been seen alive in the wild for many years.
Very little is known about the ecology and distribution of the ship sturgeon, but no one disputes that it is in deep trouble. In that context, the capture of two juvenile fish in quick succession, each estimated to be less than three years old, was extremely exciting news. It raised the prospect that this elusive and gravely imperiled species might still be reproducing in the Rioni.
Today, the research team continues to work on the river from early spring to fall, gathering vital data on sturgeon recruitment and genetic diversity in Georgia's territorial waters. In collaboration with Ilia State University, we collect samples from any captured sturgeons for genetic analysis to aid identification and shed light on which species still survive in the Rioni.
The Georgia team has caught more sturgeons in 2026 than in the previous eight years combined. This is a rich reward for the efforts of all those involved in the physically demanding and painstaking research, which means working on the river until well after midnight.
In addition to the record-breaking haul of baby sturgeons, dozens of juveniles have also been recorded in recent months. DNA samples and biometric measurements were collected from all of them before they were safely released back into the wild.
The latest revelations provide further irrefutable evidence that the Rioni is a crucial sanctuary—and possibly the last hope—for these armor-plated icons of the fish world. The good news is that the Georgian government has recognized the river's vital importance for the future of Europe's sturgeons.
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The Georgian parliament has voted to create a new nature reserve in western Georgia focused on protecting crucial sturgeon spawning grounds in the Rioni River basin. The newly designated protected area will span more than 500 hectares (1,240 acres). It includes a critical section of the Rioni where sturgeon spawning is known to have historically taken place.
This news follows an earlier designation in 2024, which saw a protected area established in the Rioni delta where the river meets the Black Sea. These two new protected areas connect with an existing marine protected area. Between them, they will safeguard a crucial network of habitats and provide protection across freshwater, coastal and marine zones. This is vitally important given the sturgeons' anadromous life cycle, which sees them hatch in the river before migrating out to sea and then returning upstream to spawn as adults.
The protected area announcement is a major conservation victory. It vindicates the collective efforts of conservationists, scientists and committed community members who have contributed to years of data collection, local engagement and governance strengthening.
The project has come a long way since Fauna & Flora plucked that first tiny sturgeon from the Rioni River. Recent signs are positive, but much remains to be done to secure the future of one of the world's most remarkable—and endangered—living fossils.
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More sturgeons were captured in Georgia’s Rioni River in 2026 than in the previous eight years combined. Juvenile captures confirm ongoing reproduction in this refuge for critically endangered sturgeons. A new reserve covering over 500 hectares protects spawning habitat and connects with coastal and marine protected areas.
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