The Azov-Black Sea Branch of the Russian State Research Center "All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO) played a key role in developing the Strategy's component dedicated to assessing the fisheries and biological potential of the Sea of Azov. Based on the results of many years of research, the branch's scientists prepared forecasts for the dynamics of biological productivity, the structure and volume of the fisheries resource base in the Sea of Azov, and the prospects for aquaculture development until 2040, taking into account climate change, particularly fluctuations in seawater salinity.
The restoration of abundant and multi-age sturgeon populations in the Sea of Azov creates the necessary foundations for the commercial exploitation of these species and the economic recovery of the Azov region's fishing industry. This could also create a striking global precedent—the first large-scale example of systematically overcoming the global trend of declining wild sturgeon populations.
Until 1991, the Azov Basin contributed over 5% of the total global sturgeon catch. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the destruction of the system for protecting and reproducing the Sea of Azov's fish resources, as well as the increase in IUU (illegal, unregulated, unreported) fishing, sturgeon lost their commercial significance. By 2000, a complete ban on their harvest was imposed to prevent their complete extinction.
The change in the legal status of the Sea of Azov and increased oversight by Russian fisheries authorities have significantly reduced the scale of illegal fishing.
The Azov-Black Sea Branch of VNIRO conducted comprehensive research aimed at assessing the holding capacity of the Sea of Azov for sturgeon juveniles. As a result, scientifically based recommendations were developed for annual release volumes and reproduction targets.
By 2021–2025, the total release volume of anadromous sturgeon juveniles into the Sea of Azov reached 7.2–7.8 million annually. In 2024, 6.818462 million juvenile Russian sturgeon were released, the highest figure in the past 10 years.
Currently, according to annual trawl surveys conducted by scientists at the Azov-Black Sea Branch of VNIRO, there is a steady trend toward sturgeon stock recovery in the Sea of Azov. A multi-age structure has developed in the Russian sturgeon population, with individuals over 105 cm in size and weighing 15-25 kg, corresponding to ages 14-16 years.
The scientists' assessments provide grounds for discussing the resumption of commercial exploitation in the coming years, for now, only for Russian sturgeon. VNIRO scientists are currently studying the possible conditions for resuming the Russian sturgeon fishery in the Sea of Azov and developing the necessary measures.
VNIRO Press Service