Status of Caught Wild Spawners and Propagation of the Endangered Sturgeon Acipenser sturio in France: a Synthesis

Over the last twenty‐years attempts to propagate wild caught spawners of the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser sturio, have been carried out. Incidental catches, concentrated in May and June, decreased from 1988 onwards. Females were larger than males. The allometric relationship between the weight (W) and the length (TL) is sex dependent. Carp pituitary homogenate was the most commonly used hormonal treatment for artificial reproduction. A two‐injection process at an interval of 12–48 h proved to be efficient in over‐mature females and resulted in several days holding time in males, respectively. There are qualitative signs of a degradation of the status of the French population. Only four artificial spawnings were performed, in 1981 (1), 1985 (2) and 1995 (1). New needed fields of investigation which often have already started are: setting up of a confined broodstock, cryopreservation of sperm, assessment of good quality sperm, efficiency of pools of sperms, biotest for in vitro ovulation, molecular genetics, non invasive methods, and potential causes of stress (environmental damages and handling as well).