The conservation of the Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) in Italy has involved at least four LIFE projects and numerous local initiatives, mainly focused on restocking captive-bred fish. Over 600,000 individuals have been released in the past 30 years, preventing extinction but failing to restore a self-sustaining wild population. The species remains Critically Endangered (IUCN) and assessed as Unfavourable-Bad (U2) under the Habitats Directive. Limited success is linked to the release of small fish, predation by invasive alien species (IAS) such as Silurus glanis, poaching, and lack of coordinated range-wide strategies. LIFE RESTORE addresses these gaps following the Pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeon Conservation (Bern Convention, 2019), combining restocking, IAS control, and large-scale stakeholder engagement.
Over six years, more than 75,000 fish will be released with the support of two hatcheries. Most will be ≥3 years old to improve survival, while smaller fish will be stocked only in rivers with low predator density. IAS control will focus on catfish removal along 105 km of the Po River and parts of the Sesia and Scrivia rivers. Monitoring will cover 13 rivers and 45 Natura 2000 sites, using telemetry and citizen science. Anglers’ associations will be trained to collect and share data. Awareness campaigns will involve >200,000 people, including thousands of students.
The project expects a wild population increase of about 14,000 sturgeons, nearly 20 times higher than the 700 individuals reported in the last Habitats Directive assessment. It aims to foster natural reproduction, observed sporadically in recent years, and to establish a coordinated, long-term conservation framework endorsed by five regional administrations. Finally, the project also aims to raise public awareness of sturgeons and spread understanding of their ecological importance.
 

Acipenser naccarii, LIFE Restore, Restocking,