Status of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus L.) in Serbia and Hungary

The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus L.) is a resident species in the Danube Basin and in these days it plays a remarkable role in fisheries of the Danube and Tisza. Sterlet fishery is traditional and important commercial activity in Serbia and Hungary. After a decline of sterlet stocks in Upper and Middle Danube River in previous centuries, the species’ range has again been increasing since the 1980s. It has been almost extirpated from the Upper Danube while in the Middle Danube, in Slovakia and Hungary, stocks seem to be recuperating. In the Serbian part of the Danube River the most abundant catch of sterlet occurs near Belgrade and in the upstream sections in Vojvodina as well as in the lower parts of the Sava and Tisza River. Sterlet stocking was never fully developed in Serbia while artificial propagation of sterlet in Hungary was developed in the 1970’ and 1980’. Stocking of juveniles in the 1980’ was regular with 10.000-100.000 individuals/year. Stocking in 1990’ became occasional with 10.000-20.000 individuals/year, while stocking from 2000 start again to be regular with 50.000-150.000 individuals/year. Stocking programmes do not have significant effects on recruitment of sterlet. Sterlet is a promising candidate for freshwater aquaculture production and it has several indisputable advantages comparing with other sturgeon species. It has relatively small size, but fast reaches commercial weight and sexual maturity. The sterlet has been produced in Hungary on a commercial scale in Research Institute for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Irrigation (HAKI) and some other farms since 1990, although the volume of production is low. Tremendous knowledge on the biology, breeding and rearing technology of sterlet are available in HAKI. There is also produce of sterlet in Hungary for ornamental purposes. Sterlet aquaculture is not developed in Serbia and only attempts were made in artificial spawning of sterlet and juveniles rearing. The sterlet was under protection in period from 1974 till 1982 in Hungary but since 1982 it has been only protected by closed season (1 March – 31 May) and size limit (45 cm – total length). Similarly, sterlet in Serbia nowdays is only protected by closed season (1 March – 31 May) and size limit (40 cm – standard length). In frame of the project Sustainable use of sterlet and development of sterlet aquaculture in Serbia and Hungary which was realized by the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research (Belgrade, Serbia) and HAKI (Szarvas, Hungary) and financed as cross-border Cooperation Programme by the EU-EAR Activity plan for the conservation and sustainable use of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus L.) was prepared.