Caviar sturgeon seen in Irish waters for the first time in decades
A caviar-producing sturgeon - once dubbed the 'royal fish' for its association with British monarchs - was recently caught off Valencia Island in County Kerry, marking the first confirmed sighting in four decades.
The six-foot-long fish was hauled up by Declan O'Sullivan, skipper of the Trinity, a trawler based out of Portmagee.
O'Sullivan, suspecting he had found something unusual, sent photographs of the fish to Kevin Flannery, director of Dingle Oceanworld.
Flannery, a veteran marine biologist, was stunned.
'I nearly fell over,' he told the Irish Independent. 'To see this fossil species, this dinosaur fish, back in our waters is incredible. They were thought to be extinct here.'
Flannery confirmed the fish's identity and advised that it be released, which O'Sullivan did.
The fisherman also reported seeing another sturgeon swimming just beyond the net.
This rediscovery is the first of its kind since a sturgeon was landed near Kish Lighthouse off Dublin in 1987.
Once common in Irish waters, sturgeon were driven to near-extinction by the 1970s due to overfishing, primarily for their highly prized caviar.
Historically, sturgeon caught around Ireland were automatically considered property of the Crown and often presented to royalty.
The species was so revered that past catches were served to figures such as Queen Victoria and, more recently, guests at White's on the Green in Dublin.
Sturgeon are one of the oldest species of fish still around today, dating back over 100 million years.
Known as 'dinosaur fish,' they can grow over two metres long and spend most of their lives at sea, returning to freshwater rivers to breed and spawn.
Ireland's Shannon and Suir rivers have been identified as having ideal conditions for sturgeon, making the prospect of reintroduction feasible for wider conservation efforts.
Following the rediscovery, the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) and Blue Marine Foundation have renewed calls for a national sturgeon restoration initiative.
According to IWT's Pádraic Fogarty, 'We need to see a more concerted effort to reintroduce species to Ireland that have been driven to extinction. The sturgeon should be a priority. It's a magnificent animal, and restoring its habitat benefits many other species as well.'
The recent publication of Britain's Sturgeon Conservation Strategy and Action Plan 2023 - 2033 has offered a pan-European plan to restore sturgeon populations.
Conservation groups argue that Ireland must be part of this larger movement.
'Nature doesn't recognise borders,' said Adrian Gahan of the Blue Marine Foundation.
'And neither should our conservation efforts. This rediscovery is a reminder that with collaboration and commitment, lost species can return.'
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