After 225 million years of existence (1), 85% of the world’s sturgeons are nearing extinction (2). The sturgeon is particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic activities because it is large, moves slowly, migrates between saltwater and freshwater, and reproduces late and infrequently (3). The ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris) distribution used to include the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Aral Sea, and Azov Sea (4), but there are now just two isolated populations in the Caspian Sea (5). In 2019, the ship sturgeon was listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (6) and as Critically Endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (7). Iran has taken steps to restore the ship sturgeon population but cannot succeed without regional and international cooperation.
