Two NGOs have called on the government to examine restoring sturgeon to Irish waters.
Also known as “dinosaur fish”, sturgeon can be traced back to the Jurassic period and were once “frequent” in these waters, the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) and the British Blue Marine Foundation state in a joint report.
“Before Irish independence, they were designated a “royal fish”, and any sturgeon caught was automatically the property of the British Crown,” the NGOs say.
“A legal review commissioned for this study found that under the Habitats Directive Ireland is obliged to examine the feasibility of reintroducing sturgeon,” they say.
Existing data show that suitable habitat exists for them, particularly in the rivers Shannon and Suir, they say.
The migratory fish spawn in freshwater, but spend most of their lives at sea.
“Sturgeon can therefore be an “umbrella species”, as in measures to restore their habitat will benefit a range of other species in the aquatic and marine environments,” they say.
The UK Sturgeon Conservation Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2033, recently published, complements pan-European efforts to restore the critically endangered sturgeon throughout its former range. Ireland must be part of this wider effort, they state.
IWT campaign officer Pádraic Fogarty said “we need to see a more concerted effort to reintroduce species to Ireland that have been driven to extinction”.
“We believe the sturgeon should be a priority, as many of the measures to restore its habitat, such as improving the status of rivers and the creation of marine protected areas, are already government commitments, “he says.
“ It’s also a magnificent animal that deserves to be brought back to Ireland in its own right,” Fogarty says.
Adrian Gahan of Blue Marine Foundation says said that surgeon once moved freely through the seas and rivers of Britain, Ireland and continental Europe.
“It is great to see conservation groups from across Europe come together to restore these ancient animals,” Gahan said.
“Nature does not recognise national borders so nor should our conservation efforts. Blue Marine Foundation is delighted to partner with The Irish Wildlife Trust on this important study,” he said.
