Brussels – The European project LIFE-RESTORE – Recovery of Endangered Sturgeons Through Optimized Restocking Efforts – has officially kicked off, focusing on the protection of the cobice sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii), a symbol of Italy’s rivers and the Adriatic Sea, now critically endangered. Sturgeons are the world’s most threatened group of fish species: all 26 known species are at risk of extinction, primarily due to intensive fishing for caviar and habitat loss.
The cobice sturgeon holds special significance as an Italian endemic species, found only in the Po River basin and the Adriatic, and classified as critically endangered. Despite its fragility, it has shown small but encouraging signs of recovery in recent years, underscoring the urgency and importance of LIFE-RESTORE.
Funded by the European Commission’s LIFE program, the six-year initiative has a total budget exceeding €10 million. It includes breeding, reintroduction, and habitat protection efforts, as well as advanced scientific monitoring, public engagement campaigns, and the development of coordinated long-term conservation strategies. Key supporters include the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, the regions of Veneto, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Friuli Venezia Giulia, the main Po River authorities (ADBPO and AIPO), and conservation organizations such as WWF Italy, WWF Europe, and the World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS).