The UK Sturgeon Alliance is a coalition of organizations committed to the restoration of sturgeons (A. sturio and A. oxyrinchus) in the UK, including the Zoological Society of London, Blue Marine Foundation, Institute of Fisheries Management, Nature at Work, Severn Rivers Trust, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. The Alliance’s mission encompasses several key objectives: ensure that UK rivers and estuaries are in fit state to accommodate these threatened sturgeon species; restore suitable sturgeon spawning and feeding habitats; improve connectivity of estuary and river habitats to enable fish migration; reduce sturgeon bycatch in UK waters; prevent non-native sturgeon originating from the pet trade from escaping into the wild; increase public awareness and pride of UK sturgeon; and explore ways under IUCN Reintroduction Protocol to restore sturgeon numbers in the UK.
Established in 2020, the Alliance collaborates with government representatives, experts, and other NGO’s interested in the conservation of native sturgeons in the UK. In 2022, the Alliance developed a comprehensive UK Sturgeon Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for the next decade (2023-2033). This strategic plan outlines the challenges, objectives, and measures necessary to advance the conservation effort and aligns with the Pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeons. A database compiling historical data on UK sturgeons, primarily contributed to by Steve Colclough from the Institute of Fisheries Management, is being prepared for publication. Currently, the Alliance is utilising a Structured Decision-Making (SDM) approach to refine and optimise strategies for potential reintroduction of sturgeons, supported by multiple workshops aimed at consolidating expert insights.
