European sturgeon are critically endangered and face welfare threats from river barriers, pollution, illegal poaching, and the distress of living in severely degraded habitats.
European sturgeon experience chronic welfare stress from severely degraded river habitats. River barriers prevent them from reaching historical spawning grounds, causing reproductive failure and migratory frustration. Pollution causes physiological damage. Poaching involves violent capture methods. Captive breeding programmes, while vital for conservation, must ensure that fish are housed in conditions that meet their complex spatial needs. The welfare of remaining wild individuals is critically compromised by habitat fragmentation.