During the period from May to July 2023, 2 species of spiny sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris), a rare and valuable species of fish of the sturgeon family, were caught on the right bank of the Kapshagai reservoir (96 km along the ship’s route).

The specimens weighing 7,950 and 800 grams were caught on the basis of the Permit for fishing for scientific purposes of the Committee of Fishery of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan № KZ24VEP00146656 from 04.04.2023.

After a set of measures on adaptation to artificial conditions species were transported to the fish breeding site of the Balkhash branch of the Centre for domestication and further formation of the breeding stock.

To present day, anthropogenic and other factors have led to the disappearance of the spiny sturgeon from the Aral-Syrdarya basin and sharply limited its numbers in the Balkash-Alakol basin, where it is an acclimatiser. Therefore, in 2002 the spiny sturgeon was listed in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Artificial reproduction of the spiny sturgeon may become a real opportunity to preserve biodiversity and increase the stocks of the spiny sturgeon in the reservoirs of the Balkash-Alakol basin, as well as provide an opportunity to start work on restoring the stocks of this species in the Aral-Syrdarya basin.

Works on artificial reproduction of the spike are carried out within the framework of the budget programme 267-101-154 ” Program-targeted financing of scientific researches and activities”.