Size matters: Nornickel releases large sturgeon juveniles in Dudinka

<p>For the first time, Nornickel has released large Siberian sturgeon juveniles near the Arctic port of&nbsp;Dudinka, in&nbsp;the lower reaches of&nbsp;the Yenisei River. By&nbsp;2034, the company plans to&nbsp;release more than 20&nbsp;million sturgeon juveniles into the local water system to&nbsp;help sustain the population of&nbsp;the endangered species.</p> <p>Released into rivers under biodiversity-support programmes, sturgeon juveniles usually weigh only one gram. Larger juveniles have never previously been released in&nbsp;the Arctic. This time, Nornickel’s environmental specialists took on&nbsp;a&nbsp;different approach: the survival rate of&nbsp;larger fish is&nbsp;nearly 15&nbsp;times higher. Weighing <nobr>10–11 grams,</nobr> these juveniles have sufficient nutrient reserves to&nbsp;overwinter and, thanks to&nbsp;their sharp bony scutes, face virtually no&nbsp;natural predators. Over several releases, Nornickel introduced 50,000 large juveniles into the Yenisei near Dudinka. Given their higher survival rate, this is&nbsp;equivalent to&nbsp;releasing more than 850,000 one-gram juveniles.</p> <p>The fish were raised from roe sourced from the Yenisei population at&nbsp;recirculating aquaculture facilities in&nbsp;Yaroslavl Region, under the supervision of&nbsp;scientists from the Russian Academy of&nbsp;Sciences’ Institute for Biology of&nbsp;Inland Waters. To&nbsp;reach Dudinka, the juveniles travelled thousands of&nbsp;kilometres by&nbsp;road and air. They were transported in&nbsp;insulated containers under carefully controlled temperature conditions. In&nbsp;Dudinka, the sturgeon adapted in&nbsp;holding tanks before being released into the Yenisei. The fish were released in&nbsp;the middle of&nbsp;the river so&nbsp;they could disperse evenly across the current and water depth, while avoiding predatory birds along the shoreline.</p> <p>The next stage will involve releasing juveniles into the Norilo-Pyasina water system after 2035, once the ecosystem has become sufficiently balanced and has an&nbsp;adequate food base. Large-scale research in&nbsp;preparation for this work is&nbsp;being conducted by&nbsp;the country’s leading fisheries research institution, the Russian Federal Research Institute of&nbsp;Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO). In&nbsp;cooperation with the institute, work has also begun to&nbsp;study genetic polymorphism in&nbsp;sturgeon species in&nbsp;order to&nbsp;prevent population degeneration.</p> <p><strong>Vladimir Voronkov, Head of&nbsp;Water Ecosystem Conservation Projects at&nbsp;Nornickel</strong>, commented:</p> <p>«Protecting Arctic biodiversity requires more than simply releasing juvenile fish. We&nbsp;must create conditions in&nbsp;which they can survive and reproduce. That is&nbsp;why we&nbsp;rely on&nbsp;a&nbsp;science-based approach and release more mature juveniles&nbsp;— this is&nbsp;how we&nbsp;will see tangible results from our work. It&nbsp;reflects our genuine commitment to&nbsp;the future of&nbsp;the Yenisei and the northern environment as&nbsp;a&nbsp;whole.»</p> <p>Artificial breeding and fish stocking help preserve fish populations in&nbsp;Taimyr, one of&nbsp;Nornickel’s key regions of&nbsp;operation. The company continues its systematic work to&nbsp;restore the Arctic’s biological resources, combining scientific expertise, modern technology and care for the fragile northern environment.</p>

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Nornickel - News RSS · Stock Exchange/Regulatory Announcements

Published

22nd September 2026

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nornickel.com

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