Sturgeon sighting — the first here in decades
The astonishing thing about this is that sturgeon are considered extinct in Irish waters. The last confirmed sighting of sturgeon here was in 1987, in the Irish Sea. Before that, they were a regular occurrence in Irish coastal waters and the larger rivers... a top predator of aquatic ecosystems since long before humans ever arrived on the scene. In a classic case of 'shifting baseline syndrome', these impressive fish have become extinct in very recent times, yet we have already forgotten they were ever here in the first place.
Media coverage of a sturgeon caught in Kerry in April 1966. Left to right: Cork Examiner, April 4; Irish Press, April 5; Kerryman, April 9, 1966
The first I learned about sturgeon was in the context of early hunter gatherers across Europe and Asia. These palaeolithic people thrived by making expert use of the living resources available to them. Several species of sturgeon, all enormous fish, were a valuable resource indeed. Their eggs, now known as caviar, could be harvested from females without harming the fish. The flesh of a large sturgeon could feed a clan, as well as being preserved by smoking and drying. Their skin was cured and used to make shimmering, silver-coloured clothing.
An Atlantic sturgeon
But sturgeon go back a lot longer in history than even the palaeolithic period. In fact, sturgeon were among the largest inhabitants of freshwater ecosystems as long as 150 million years ago. In more recent history, we know that the monks at Clonmacnoise caught and ate sturgeon from the River Shannon in the the 6th and 7th centuries onwards. Sturgeon also swam up the Boyne, the Barrow, the Suir and the Blackwater, with records showing that they were common in Irish inshore waters during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries too.
Like salmon, sturgeon are migratory. Much of their lives are spent out at sea, feeding on fish and crustaceans. When its time to spawn, from March through August, they swim up into freshwater rivers. The full moon in August is known as the 'sturgeon moon', when sturgeon were traditionally caught across Europe and North America in freshwater lakes and rivers.
A fisherman stands next to his boat that is filled with sturgeon by the Volga River in Astrakhan, Russia. Picture: Robert Nickelsberg / Liaison
After millions of years roaming freely through both freshwater and marine habitats, these ecological icons are now critically endangered, on the verge of disappearing forever. Having been celebrated for as long as humans have existed, and harvested for millennia at sustainable levels, these resilient fish were not able to withstand the might of 20th century trawlers. Their demise has come about as a result of too many fish being caught in commercial fisheries, the same activity that has contributed to the collapse of Atlantic salmon, cod, herring and whiting during the 1980s and 90s. Because sturgeon take more than a decade to reach sexual maturity, impacted populations are unable to recover quickly, making them exceptionally vulnerable to overfishing.
Another issue that impacts sturgeon is when their access to spawning habitats is blocked off by damns and weirs, depriving them of the opportunity to reproduce. The main threats to their existence now are officially cited as fisheries bycatch in commercial benthic trawls; degradation of both freshwater and marine habitats; and pollution.
Today, the species known as European sturgeon, one of many related sturgeon species across the world, is still swimming about European waters, virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs, though much diminished in abundance. It is thought that there are only about 50 wild adult European sturgeon left.
But because these are such an iconic species, and listed in the annexes of the European Habitats Directive, reintroductions from captive breeding programmes have gotten underway in Germany, Poland and France. Recovery measures in the Gironde-Garonne-Dordogne rivers in France between 1995 and 2015 have resulted in more than 1.6 million juveniles being released in to the wild. Between 2007 and 2015, approximately 20,000 captive bred individuals were released in to the Elbe River in Germany.
Irish Examiner, February 17, 2012 Rare fish causes stir in Dingle
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the first returning fish from the releases have been observed entering the river since 2021. It is as yet unknown whether these reintroductions have been successful in reestablishing wild populations.
In 2023, the Irish Wildlife Trust together with the Blue Marine Foundation published a report detailing the history of sturgeon here and the potential for reintroduction. They have been calling on the Government to be actively involved in Europe wide initiatives to save sturgeon from extinction. Now that two sturgeon have been recorded so close to the Kerry coast, it may be time for this call to action to be taken more seriously.
Under the EU Habitats Directive, Ireland is obliged to assess the feasibility of reintroducing sturgeon here. The measures needed to facilitate a successful reintroduction would include improvements to water quality, as spawning habitats have been clogged up with silt and deprived of essential oxygen due to excess nutrients from intensive agriculture. Barriers to migration would also need to be addressed, giving sturgeon, along with wild Atlantic salmon and European eel, free passage to navigate upstream to their natal spawning grounds. A cohesive network of marine protected areas (MPAs) would be needed too, protection that could give marine ecosystems a chance to recover.
If all of this sounds like a major effort, it would be. State agencies, scientists, fishers, farmers, and conservation groups would all be required to participate proactively. Restoring rivers and coastal habitats to a state in which they could once again sustain viable populations of salmon and sturgeon is within reach. The benefits of embarking on ambitious ecosystem scale ecological restoration would be far-reaching.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Irish professor appointed to UN panel on effects of nuclear war
An Irish professor is one of 21 scientists that have been appointed to a United Nations panel to report on the effects of a nuclear war. Dr Neil Rowan of the Technological University of the Shannon, who was recognised in the top 2pc of scientists in the world by Stanford University in 2023, has been appointed to the newly established panel. Register for free to read this story Register and create a profile to get access to our free stories. You'll also unlock more free stories each week.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Can Ireland's ash trees stage a comeback against deadly dieback?
For more than a decade, Ireland's ash trees have been quietly dying. Victims of a deadly fungal disease known as ash dieback, they have withered in woodlands, fallen from hedgerows, and left gaps in a landscape where they once stood proud and plentiful. Since its arrival in 2012, ash dieback has spread relentlessly across the island, and with it has come growing concern for biodiversity, forestry, and even national identity. Yet, amid the losses, a new hope is sprouting. Science shows our ash trees may be fighting back. A devastating foe Ash dieback, caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, sneaked into Ireland through imported plants, spreading like wildfire. Its spores attack ash trees' leaves, choking their ability to carry water and nutrients. Ash dieback The result? Withered branches, cracked bark — and, for many young trees, a death sentence. It's estimated that up to 90% of Ireland's ash trees could be at risk, with entire woodlands and hedgerows fading away. The fallout is more than just a loss of trees. Ash trees are the backbone of our ecosystems, supporting more than 40 species of insects, lichens, and fungi that keep our woodlands teeming with life. Their decline ripples through the food chain, threatening birds and other wildlife. And then there's hurling. Our beloved sport that relies on ash for crafting hurleys. With local ash in short supply, we've had to turn to imported timber... a bittersweet shift for a game woven so deeply into our national identity. Nature fights back But the story doesn't end there. A groundbreaking study from Britain, hot off the press in the journal Science , brings a ray of hope. Researchers from Kew Gardens and Queen Mary University of London studied a woodland in Surrey and discovered that young ash trees are tougher than their parents. By comparing DNA, they found that these saplings have inherited thousands of tiny genetic tweaks that help them fend off the fungus. It's evolution in action, happening right before our eyes. Here in Ireland, this discovery hits home. Our ash trees share the same genetic roots as those in Britain, and Irish scientists are already spotting survivors in our woodlands. By collecting their seeds and using cutting-edge genetic tools, foresters are working to determine if they can grow a new generation of ash that can stand strong. But this process will take time. Resistance is not immunity, and many trees, particularly older ones, will continue to die. But it's a start. Echoes from the past This isn't the first time Ireland's trees have faced a crisis. While ash dieback is a modern disease, the idea of trees succumbing to disease is not new. Thousands of years ago, around 5,000–6,000 years back, our elm trees vanished in a mysterious 'elm decline'. Ancient pollen buried in bogs and lakes show a dramatic and rapid drop in elm (Ulmus) trees. For years, scientists debated whether this decline was caused by early farming practices or a natural disease outbreak. Today, many palaeoecologists believe that a form of Dutch elm disease (or a closely related pathogen) may have triggered this ancient collapse. Though not directly linked to ash, the elm decline provides a powerful precedent for how tree disease can reshape entire landscapes. More subtle changes in the pollen record, such as temporary declines in ash or oak, might also reflect short-lived disease events or stressors like drought or fire. New techniques, such as sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) analysis, are beginning to offer even greater insight, detecting not only the presence of tree species but also the DNA of associated fungi and pathogens preserved in sediment layers. These long-term records remind us that forest ecosystems are dynamic and resilient, capable of both suffering and recovering from shock. They also provide a long-term perspective on how tree species may have responded to past climate changes and biological threats. A path forward Today, scientists and foresters are working together to manage the immediate crisis and prepare for the long haul. Elongated angular stem lesions, one of the symptoms to look out for with ash dieback /(Chalara fraxinea). Across Ireland, seeds are being collected from surviving ash trees, saplings are being tested for resistance, and new planting strategies are being explored to determine if resilient stock could be reintroduced into the landscape. At the same time, it's important to not view the ash crisis in isolation. A more diverse forest, one that includes native species like oak, birch, rowan and hazel, is more likely to withstand future challenges, whether from disease, invasive pests, or a changing climate. Still, the idea that ash could one day reclaim its place in Irish hedgerows, woodlands, and hurley workshops is no longer just wishful thinking. It won't happen overnight. Rebuilding our ash woodlands will take decades, blending nature's resilience with human ingenuity. But imagine a future where ash trees once again shade our fields and fuel our hurling matches. So, while ash trees are down, they're not out of the game just yet.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Irish navigation gyroscope to guide new European space mission
An Irish navigation gyroscope will guide a European space mission carrying four Earth observation satellites and another to measure global greenhouse gas distribution, set to launch from French Guiana early tomorrow morning.
