Restoration program of an endangered species: case study on European sturgeon Acipenser sturio - Marie-Laure ACOLAS

Acipenser sturio is a critically endangered species, the last natural reproduction occurred in 1994 in the Gironde (South West France) and a captive broodstock was constituted. Since 2007, the species benefits from a European recovery plan enhanced by national action plans; since then the population is sustained through stocking (>1.5 million juveniles released). This is a long-lived species with late maturation that need long-term measures and associated monitoring to evaluate the efficiency of the stocking practice and the functionality of the population currently rebuilding. This talk will present the long term measures required in a restoration program and the importance of the implication of scientists and local stakeholders.