Beluga
CR

Beluga

Huso huso

DecliningCREUCREU

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Beluga sturgeon faces catastrophic population decline primarily due to overfishing for its highly valuable caviar, which has driven intensive commercial exploitation for over a century. Dam construction across the Caspian Sea basin has blocked critical spawning migrations and fragmented remaining populations. Illegal fishing and poaching continue despite protective measures, while pollution from industrial activities and agricultural runoff degrades water quality in both marine and freshwater habitats.

Threat summary

Habitat

Beluga sturgeon inhabit the Caspian, Black, and Azov seas, spending most of their lives in brackish and marine waters. They migrate into large river systems including the Volga, Danube, and Ural rivers for spawning, requiring access to deep freshwater pools and gravel beds for reproduction.

Marine oceanic· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationLegislationCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in ACIPENSERIDAE

CR

Persian Sturgeon

Acipenser persicus

Declining
Sakhalin SturgeonCR

Sakhalin Sturgeon

Acipenser mikadoi

Declining
Siberian SturgeonCR

Siberian Sturgeon

Acipenser baerii

Declining
Amu Darya Shovelnose SturgeonCR

Amu Darya Shovelnose Sturgeon

Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni

Declining

Threatened in Austria

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
EN

Lyophyllum deliberatum

Unknown
VU

Large Tree-chernes

Dendrochernes cyrneus

Unknown
EN

Pipizella nigriana

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Beluga classified as Critically Endangered?
Beluga is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Beluga sturgeon faces catastrophic population decline primarily due to overfishing for its highly valuable caviar, which has driven intensive commercial exploitation for over a century. Dam construction across the Caspian Sea basin has blocked critical spawning migrations and fragmented remaining populations. Illegal fishing and poaching continue despite protective measures, while pollution from industrial activities and agricultural runoff degrades water quality in both marine and freshwater habitats.
Where does Beluga live?
Beluga occurs in Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, China, and Czechia (plus 15 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Beluga?
The main threats to Beluga are 2.1, 5.1, 5.4, and 7.2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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