WWF report reveals illegal sturgeon poaching in Lower Danube

A report by WWF documenting wildlife crimes in the Lower Danube region between 2016 and 2025 reveals 509 confirmed cases involving sturgeon or prohibited fishing gear. The findings indicate that at least 3,366 sturgeon were affected by these documented crimes across Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine.

Authorities in the three countries confiscated approximately 6.5 tons of sturgeon meat and at least 263 kg of illegal caviar during this period. Romania recorded the highest number of cases with 235, followed by Bulgaria with 175, and Ukraine with 99.

Beate Schriebel, head of the WWF Sturgeon Initiative in Bulgaria, stated that illegal fishing and trafficking pose a serious threat to the recovery of Danube sturgeon populations, which are already on the brink of extinction. The report notes that the number of recorded cases is influenced by the effectiveness of monitoring, reporting methods, and institutional access to specific regions, noting that the war in Ukraine has hindered control in parts of the Danube Delta and the Black Sea coast.