A valuable notification about a sturgeon catch

Department of Migratory Fish IFI in Gdańsk, Institute of Ecology of Fresh Waters and Inland Fisheries in Berlin and Hel Marine Station UG received the message about catch of the Atlantic sturgeon from Mr Andrew Czapski on 24 May 2010 . The fish was caught in the Szczecin Lagoon on 20 May 2010. 

Atlantic sturgeon caught in the Szczecin Lagoon on 20th May 2010

The length of the fish amounted 45cm. The sturgeon weighed 300g. The fish has obviously lost its external tag, but it had a visible ventral opening and remains of surgical seams. Probably, the fish has ripped the sealed  wound that was opened when fighting in the net. The sturgeon was brought alive to the fishing harbour, where it was measured, weighed and photographed. Besides the wound was gently pieced together, and the fish was released into a region, where was little fishing gear.

The fresh wound and surgical seams quickly permitted to define history of the sturgeon. This fish originated from the group of 10 individuals that were released to Oder River about 5 km North from Gryfino on 6th May 2010. Fish were released to investigate their speed of descending towards the sea. The sturgeons had telemetric transmitters implanted before they were released to the river. Fish were under the narcosis during the treatment. 

Placing of the transmitter and sewing up of the abdominal cavity of the sturgeon 
(photo M. Skora)

The releasing of sturgeons to the natural habitat preceded the location of special receivers (hydrophones) on selected navigational buoys in places of awaited ways of the migration of these fish toward the Pomeranian Bay. The hydrophones used record the date and time of the displacement of fish in the region of their activity. To obtain the signal sent by the telemetric transmitter it is necessary that the fish passes the hydrophone in a radius to approx. 200m.

Dr. Frank Fredrich at fastening the hydrophone to the navigational buoy, 07.04.2010r. 
(photo M. Skora)

We thank to fishermen from the Szczecin Lagoon for immediate informing us about the fact of catching of the sturgeon and sharing their information. We are pleasantly surprised of their attitude. This can be considered a good prospect, because the success of present actions aiming at creating a self-reproducing population of sturgeon in our rivers, largely depends on the support by the fishermen.

Additionally, we like to thank the team of Maritime Office in Szczecin (Base of the Navigational Branch from Szczecin and Świnoujście) for the help to conduct our research.

M. Skóra & J. Gessner
26.05.2010

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