The imposing beluga spotted in the Adriatic again after decades

Beluga (Photo. Максим Яковлєв/CC BY-SA 4.0)

A species once thought to be extinct in the Adriatic Sea has made a surprising return, Jutarnji list reports.

Croatian marine expert Pero Ugarković recently announced that the beluga (Huso huso), also known as the beluga, beluga sturgeon or great sturgeon, has been spotted again in these waters, marking an exciting moment for marine conservation.

The beluga is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, reaching up to seven metres in length and weighing over a tonne.

This impressive fish was once found not only in the Adriatic but also in the Danube and Sava rivers in northern Croatia.

However, due to pollution, overfishing, and dam construction, its population declined drastically, leading to its disappearance from the region.

The last recorded catch of a beluga sturgeon in Croatia was in 1989 at a fish market in Split, though it had already been considered extinct in the Adriatic for much longer.

Beluga sturgeon

A Conservation Success Story

While beluga vanished from the Adriatic, it survived in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, thanks to conservation efforts and fish farming for caviar production.

A major breakthrough came through the Italian LIFE-NATURA Con.Flu.Po project, which removed migration barriers in the Po River basin. Completed in 2017, the project included a fish passage at the Isola Serafini dam, allowing fish to move freely again between rivers and the sea.

In 2019, scientists released 25 beluga sturgeon into the Ticino River, a tributary of the Po. These fish were fitted with transmitters to track their movements.

The latest research has revealed that all released fish began migrating downstream, with at least three making an incredible 500-kilometre journey into the Adriatic Sea.

Ugarković believes this marks the beginning of a potential beluga sturgeon revival in Croatian waters. While it is too early to determine if the species will fully re-establish itself in the region, the news has sparked hope among marine biologists and conservationists.

For now, the return of the beluga sturgeon is a remarkable achievement, offering a glimpse of what could be a brighter future for one of the Adriatic’s lost giants.