52 SEPTEMBER • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG PHOTO 2. Loss of 3–4-Year-Old Russian Sturgeon — Juvenile sturgeon found dead in autumn 2023 at the Ladyzhyn facility. Ukrainian aquaculture has endured one of the most dramatic survival stories in modern fish farming. For sturgeon farmer Oleksandr Korkh, the path of cultivating critically endangered species like the Azov (Russian) sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) has involved a decade-long journey of forced relocation, war, ecological destruction, and ongoing recovery. His farm, Ukrainian Caviar Berry, reflects both the fragility and fortitude of Ukraine’s freshwater aquaculture sector. Origins of Ukrainian Sturgeon Farming in Mariupol “The story of our sturgeon farm began, surprisingly enough, at the Mariupol Metallurgical Plant,” says Korkh. This Soviet-era industrial complex not only employed tens of thousands but also operated its own sturgeon hatchery for over five decades. In the 1990s, it developed a breeding stock of the Azov sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), an endemic and critically endangered species native to the Ponto-Caspian basin. Korkh and partners acquired the farm in April 2014. The hatchery had transitioned into a private aquaculture facility, investing in floating pontoon systems and adopting humane, non-lethal caviar extraction techniques. However, domesticating wild sturgeon proved difficult. Many refused to take artificial feed and died. The losses were steep, but a sustainable operation eventually emerged. Within a few months, the region was overrun by Russianbacked separatists. The farm became entangled in active conflict. The Russians’ interest in Mariupol was not incidental. It is a strategic port city on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov in southeastern Ukraine. Before the Russian invasion, it was a major industrial hub in the Donetsk region. While widely known for the devastating 2022 siege, the city was first occupied in 2014. That same year, Ukrainian forces briefly retook Mariupol, but the instability forced businesses like Korkh’s to evacuate. Out of 12 tons of sturgeon, only 4 tons — primarily Azov sturgeon — were rescued. A Farm in Exile The surviving fish were first relocated to the Dnipro Sturgeon Production and Experimental Facility in Kherson—the only hatchery of its kind in Ukraine at the time—and later to Ladyzhyn in central Ukraine. There, Ukrainian Caviar Berry resumed operations using floating pontoon systems on the Southern Buh River. The open water and steady river flow more closely replicated the sturgeon’s natural environment compared to typical recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). “Other producers use closed-loop systems like inflatable pools inside barns,” Korkh explains. “We chose flowing river water. The Resilient Journey of Ukraine’s Sturgeon Farmers How War, Ecological Disasters and Human Error Shaped the Survival Story of Ukrainian Aquaculture Anna Klochko PHOTO 1. Russian Sturgeon During Bonitation Check — Health, biomass, and growth rates being assessed at the Ladyzhyn facility, 2020.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=