LIFE-Boat4Sturgeon: Floating Hatchery arrives in Vienna
Another milestone was achieved in protecting the endangered sturgeon populations in the Danube. Following the completion of a new docking station on the Danube Island, the former freight ship MS Negrelli has been transferred from Linz and converted into a floating hatchery for the LIFE-Boat4Sturgeon project. This unique facility will house adult sturgeon and their offspring, with the goal of rearing and releasing around 1.6 million young fish into the Danube by 2030.
The 64-meter-long and 10-meter-wide MS Negrelli, formerly operated by viadonau, is now permanently moored near the Reichsbrücke on the Danube Island. It has been specially refitted to accommodate adult sturgeon broodstock and their offspring, ensuring the species survival. The docking site features a stable steel access bridge, power and water connections, and paved access roads. Additional modification will be completed by the end of February.
The LIFE-Boat4Sturgeon project aims to save the last four remaining sturgeon species in the Danube, as their populations are too small to recover naturally. The new hatchery is a groundbreaking step in conservation efforts, with plans to support the populations of sterlet, Russian sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, and beluga sturgeon by reintroducing native and genetically diverse young fish.
