Rare sturgeon thought extinct found in Cambridgeshire

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Nov, 12:01 · Archive

A critically endangered sturgeon weighing 15lb was discovered on the banks of the Twenty Foot Drain in Cambridgeshire last week, the Environment Agency said. Native sturgeon are considered locally extinct in the area, though historical records describe a 130lb fish caught in Huntingdon in 1754.

The UK is home to two native sturgeon species: the Atlantic and European sturgeon. Both can reach up to five metres long and live for more than 60 years. They are among the most critically endangered animals on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

The Environment Agency said it had received no previous catch reports from the drains or surrounding rivers. A spokesperson said: 'We have absolutely no idea what the story with this one is.' The fish may have arrived after recent introductions of the species in France, with some migrating across the channel and being caught in UK waters.

It is illegal to keep sturgeon in fisheries in England due to the risk of hybridisation with the remaining native European sturgeon in the UK's waterways.

How it is being reported

• Rare fish 'considered locally extinct' found in CambridgeshireA critically endangered species of fish has been discovered in a Cambridgeshire waterway, despite being thought to be extinct locally.Cambs Times · 14 Nov, 11:30
• Rare fish 'considered locally extinct' found in CambridgeshireA critically endangered species of fish has been discovered in a Cambridgeshire waterway, despite being thought to be extinct locally.Ely Standard · 14 Nov, 11:30

In this story: Environment Agency · Zoological Society of London · Twenty Foot Drain · Cambridgeshire · River Great Ouse · Huntingdon

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