Biology, Conservation and Sustainable Development of Sturgeons

Biology, Conservation and Sustainable Development of Sturgeons Ramón Carmona • Alberto Domezain Manuel García-Gallego • José Antonio Hernando Fernando Rodríguez • Manuel Ruiz-Rejón Editors Biology, Conservation and Sustainable Development of Sturgeons Editors Ramón Carmona José Antonio Hernando University of Granada University of Cadiz Spain Spain Alberto Domezain Fernando Rodríguez Department of Research University of Sevilla and Development Spain Sierra Nevada Fish Farm Spain Manuel García-Gallego Manuel Ruiz-Rejón University of Granada University of Granada Spain Spain ISBN 978-1-4020-8436-2 e-ISBN 978-1-4020-8437-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008933626 © 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written p ermission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed on acid-free paper 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 springer.com Volume Foreword This volume complements the recent book on North American Paddlefish and Sturgeons (LeBreton et al. 2004) in this series. Together these two volumes bring together our knowledge of these remarkable fishes. There are notable contrasts in the volumes, as well as obvious similarities. Sturgeons have influenced our lives for millennia, not just in fisheries but also in art, economics and mythology. Perhaps we would think first of sturgeon caviar, and its incredible history (Saffron 2002, Vecsei 2005). That story cer- tainly brings together much of what sturgeon species have in common. All sturgeon species have a long biological history. We are still deciphering that history, with a com- bination of techniques as traditional as morphology and as modern as molecular genet- ics. Sturgeons also have a long, and mostly sad, history where humans are concerned. All that history, and much more, is presented in this volume. Of course all sturgeons appear very similar, even to the trained eye. Every textbook of ichthyology shows the requisite line drawing and lists the common morphological features of sturgeons. Their obvious similarities also include the history of exploitation, habitat degradation and seriously depleted native populations of virtually every species. This volume goes well beyond a simple compilation of those similarities and concerns. This volume originated from a meeting of researchers from Asia, Europe and America, held in Spain in 2005 to address the fundamental concerns of conserva- tion and restoration of sturgeons. Those researchers, with some other invited authors, have brought together a wealth of information on subjects as diverse as forensic DNA in the caviar trade to the production of sturgeon in conservation hatcheries. The volume carries a wealth of information for anyone concerned with sturgeon anywhere. Europeans have led the way in the culture and production of sturgeons, whether for conservation and restoration stocking, or for commercial harvest. Chapters related to aquaculture include studies of early development, feed requirements, and management for conservation stocking. A set of chapters deal with the evolution of sturgeons, their relationship to the critical habitat, and large- scale efforts directed to conserve or restore native species. Recovery projects in Italy, Spain, Russia, France and Germany are detailed and documented. Taxonomy, systematics and evolution are critical to conservation and recovery programs and all those subjects are considered as well. In particular, the resolution of long- standing taxonomic and systematic problems with sturgeons in southern Europe is one of the most important contributions of this volume. v vi Volume Foreword Together with the wealth of information on artificial production of sturgeons and the widespread conservation efforts, this gives a positive conclusion to what might easily be considered yet another litany of threatened and vanishing species. It will take more effort by dedicated researchers and managers before we can go beyond what might be a faint positive outlook for sturgeons. This volume certainly shows the way. Dr. David L. G. Noakes Series Editor, Fish and Fisheries Series Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Senior Scientist, Oregon Hatchery Research Center Corvallis, Oregon References LeBreton, G. T. O., F. W. H. Beamish & R. S. McKinley. 2004. North American sturgeons and paddlefish. Fish & Fisheries, Springer, New York. Saffron, I. 2002. Caviar. The strange history and uncertain future of the world’s most coveted deli- cacy. Broadway Books, New York. 270 pp. Vecsei, P. 2005. Gastronome 101: How capitalism killed the sturgeons. Environmental Biology of Fishes 73: 111–116. Foreword Sturgeons can be considered living fossils having many morphologic and biological features of ancient fish; in fact, sturgeon fossils date from about 300 million years ago, and they have essentially maintained their present features for more than 200 million years. Thus, this phylogenetic group presents unique characteristics from a biological point of view, representing a real challenge for researchers. Furthermore, sturgeons are of the utmost interest also from an applied, economic perspective. In this regard, these species are in great demand, not only for the preparation of caviar, which reaches exceptionally high prices in the international markets, but also for the meat. There are about 27 sturgeon species living in the seas and rivers of the Northern hemisphere. However, sturgeons are virtually unknown from a scientific point of view and, most importantly, they might soon become a part of the story of evolution; over-fishing, and the loss of their natural habitats might soon make it impossibile to learn about them. In fact, the wild populations of the majority of sturgeon species are actually in great danger of extinction all over the world. Being a diadromous species, that is, migrating from the sea to rivers and lakes for spawning and also staying there during the early juvenile years, and maturing slowly to the reproduction age, make them particularly vulnerable to excessive capture for commercial purposes; just as important is the degradation of their natural habitats due to human establishment and industry. In this situation, it is important to develop strategies for their conservation in natural habitats and also for their culture in fish farms, not only for providing meat and caviar for the market, but also to raise adequate reproducer sturgeons, with the three main objectives of conservation, repopulation of their original habitats and aquaculture. Rational recovery of the wild sturgeon species requires a sound knowledge of their taxonomy, biogeographical distribution, and biological features. Furthermore, information concerning previous efforts for the conservation and recovery of this group in Europe, Asia and America is also needed. The story of the recovery of sturgeons began in Russia around 1850, when attempts at artificial breeding were made to enhance the wild populations. In Western Europe, the recovery of autochthonous species was initiated in France, vii viii Foreword after a training period with an allochthonous species, Acipenser baerii from Russia. Soon, groups from several European countries followed the French initia- tive and worked with A. sturio and A. naccarii. A. sturio is the most common of the European sturgeons, but is actually in danger of extinction and is difficult to reproduce in captivity. In fact, only four successful breedings in captivity have been obtained by the CEMAGREF, France, the last one very recently (summer, 2007). A. naccarii is a species sympatric of A. sturio all over Southern Europe. A. naccarii was virtually unknown until systematic studies were recently initi- ated, as it is usually confused with A. sturio, or, when identified as a different species, as exclusive to the Adriatic Sea and thus known as the Adriatic sturgeon. The research concerning A. naccarii began in Italy where, in contrast to what happened with A. sturio in other European countries, the studies were conducted not by public organizations but by a private company, the Azienda Agricola V.I.P., owned by Giacinto Giovannini, in Brescia. This researcher, initially with- out public financial support, obtained the last A. naccarii specimens captured alive in the Po and other rivers of Northern Italy (in the Veneto and Lombardia regions), and has been able to reproduce them in captivity. In fact, in 1988, with the collaboration of Italian researchers and public organizations, Giacinto Giovannini succeeded (for the first time and in his own aquafarm), in reproducing in captivity an autochthonous sturgeon outside Russia. The efforts at aquaculture and the recovery of A. naccarii soon extended to Spain, when the Piscifactoría de Sierra Nevada, in Granada, also a private company, imported Giovannini’s F1 specimens. The research department of this fish farm obtained immediate support from public organizations and was quickly joined by research groups from sev- eral Andalusian Universities. The joint efforts of researchers with a multidiscipli- nary background enabled the development of the largest stock of a European autochthonous sturgeon species. Taking into account all these developments, the members of the Spanish research groups decided to organize a meeting of experts from several American, European, and Asian countries, aimed at sharing the experiences of the recovery and conserva- tion of sturgeons, to facilitate and promote optimal strategies for the recovery of European sturgeons. With this purpose, the workshop BIORESTURGEONS was organized in Granada, Spain, in November 2005. The main conclusions of this meeting were as follows: 1. Two sympatric sturgeon species have lived in southern Europe: A. naccarii and A. sturio. This fact could be of great interest for conservation and recovery. 2. The genetic studies have proved useful for the identification of sturgeon species in general and for caviar in particular. 3. The physical environments where the recovery plans will be or are being carried out are very similar to those that existed when sturgeons were abundant. 4. Notable advance has been made in the farming of sturgeons, especially regard- ing the techniques of nutrition, maintenance, sanitary control, etc., particularly in the species A. naccarii, leading to the availability of an ample stock of sturgeons Foreword ix of different ages with appropriate health controls, thus providing an adequate base for carrying out recovery programmes. 5. The analysis of the recovery experiences of the sturgeon populations in Russia, Italy, and Germany, as well as the projects proposed for Spain and France, has helped to identify problems and propose possible solutions. 6. The farming and recovery of sturgeons can become a valid tool in the field of sustainable development. Therefore, it is urgent that the different governments involved (Andalusian regional government, the Spanish national government, European governments, and the government of the European Union) take action and develop projects for the farming and recovery of sturgeons in Southern Europe. 7. The Andalusian regional government, in particular, is urged to initiate the recov- ery programme for A. naccarii in the Guadalquivir River, taking into considera- tion the model proposed in this workshop. This book includes the papers presented at this meeting, as well as additional papers considered to be of utmost interest for the objectives of this endeavour. The contents of this book are organized in three sections: Taxonomy and Biogeography, comprising six chapters; Biology and Aquaculture, with seven chapters; and Recovery and Conservation, with thirteen chapters. Section I includes the morphological and genetic analyses that clarify the taxonomy and phylogeny of sturgeons, concentrating on those from Southern Europe. In Section II, several aspects of developmental biology (digestive tract, heart and brain), feeding, nutrition and reproduction are considered in relation to the improvement of sturgeon farming. Finally, in Section III, the various recovery and research activities developed in several countries and the prob- lems related to the trade of caviar and restoration of the ecology of the rivers are analysed. R. Carmona, A. Domezain, M. García-Gallego, J.A. Hernando, F. Rodríguez & M. Ruiz-Rejón (Editors) To the Pioneers in the Recovery of Sturgeons The editors of this volume are aware that neither the contributions presented here, nor our work, would have been possible without the previous efforts of all the pio- neers who devoted their life to the study of sturgeons, first in Russia and later in the United States and Western Europe. We wish to thank all the scientists and techni- cians who have dedicated their life to work for and with the different species of sturgeons. They are many, and some of them have graciously accepted our invita- tion to contribute to this volume. Although it would be impossible to name all of them, we must mention the Russian pioneers, at least in general, who, as early as 1850, began their work for maintaining and restoring the stocks of wild sturgeons, stabilized the technology x Foreword for reproduction and guaranteed the survival of so many species, and played an essential role in the production of caviar. They developed the techniques for processing the sturgeon roe to unprecedented levels and shared their knowledge with the Persians—now Iranians—first, and soon after, with the rest of the world. Professor Igor Burtsev, from VNIRO, who has devoted his life to the study of stur- geons, has explained how the ancient Cossaks protected the sturgeons, even avoid- ing the ringing of bells during the spawning season. For this, we also thank the Cossaks of today. As this volume is mainly concerned with the sturgeons of Southern Europe, we wish to honour Giacinto Giovannini, the person directly responsible for preventing the extinction of A. naccarii, the only species whose distribution area is exclusively the South of Europe. When no one paid any attention to this species, he took up its conservation and recovery. It was in the 1970s, when he owned a small aquaculture farm dedicated exclusively to the trout, that he realized that the capture of sturgeons had dramatically decreased in the rivers of Southern Europe, even in his own region (the Northwestern Adriatic) which had been their last refuge. And he took a funda- mental decision to buy all the specimens that the fishermen occasionally captured. These sturgeons were usually juvenile A. naccarii captured in the rivers flowing into the Adriatic Sea. Although no one could provide him data concerning the culture of A. naccarii as it had never been tried before, he housed the specimens in his aquafarm in Orzinuovi (Brescia, Italy), where he began to take care of them, and, even risking being sentimental, we dare to say that he began to love them. He has devoted his life to sturgeons, and, after many years of solitary effort, of learning from his stur- geons and understanding their needs, he succeeded in 1988: he was able to repro- duce them in captivity. This was the first reproduction of autochthonous sturgeons outside the former USSR. This was a major success that generated hopes and opened up new possibilities for the conservation and recovery of sturgeons, initially in Italy and soon in other European countries (although most of these plans have not yet crossed the proposal stage). As mentioned, Giacinto Giovannini worked alone during the 1980s, until several groups, headed for example, by Drs. Arlati, Bronzi, Colombo, Fontana and Rossi, gave a strong impulse to the recovery of the Southern European sturgeon A. naccarii. The public administration also recognized Giovannini’s essential contribution and began to support his efforts. Even today, Giacinto Giovannini is the most important scientist responsible for the recovery of A. naccarii, not only in Italy, but all over Southern Europe. Fortunately, he has recently obtained strong support from scientists in different countries who share his objectives, and also from public institutions, as well as his own family. We also wish to mention the recent achievement of Dr. Patrick Williot and his colleagues from the CEMAGREF of artificial reproduction of the other important Foreword xi European species, A. sturio, which makes the recovery of this species in the European rivers possible. We sincerely thank Giacinto Giovannini, Patrick Williot, and all the pioneers for their contributions to the recovery of every sturgeon species. The editors