As part of the task of the program-targeted financing (PTF) “Complex assessment of the status of fish resources and other hydrobionts of the main fishing reservoirs of Kazakhstan and the development of scientifically based recommendations for their sustainable use”, for 2021-2023, specialists of the “RPC of Fisheries” LLP was conducted studies to assess the hydrological and hydrochemical regime and feed base (zooplankton and macrozoobenthos) of the Zhaiyk river.

2021 is characterized as a dry year, which negatively affected the conditions of hydrobionts of the Zhaiyk River during the spawning migrations of sturgeon. The natural reproduction of sturgeons remains at a low level, a small number of  juveniles of stellate sturgeon and sterlet are noted. Today, work continues on the assessment of the genetic diversity of sturgeon fish selected from the natural environment of the Zhaiyk River for the formation of broodstocks at the sturgeon hatchery (RGKP “UAORZ” and “AORZ”).

The good news is the capture of winter forms of stellate sturgeon and russian sturgeon. The results of this work will serve as the basis for the development of complex recommendations for the conservation of sturgeon biodiversity through the formation of sturgeon’s broodstocks at sturgeon hatcheries, aquaculture of sturgeon farms in the Republic of Kazakhstan, based on the genetic structure of producers and their genetic certification.