Over 53 thousand sterlet fry were released into the Azov Sea basin below the Krasnodar Hydrosystem on the Kuban River to compensate for possible environmental damage caused by the implementation of artificial structures repair project on M-4 Don Highway.
The event was attended by representatives of "Russian Highways" State Company and specialists from the Azov-Black Sea Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fishery. The released fry were born in the largest innovative sturgeon breeding enterprise in the South of Russia – Kuban Institute of Sturgeon Breeding.
Compensatory measures allow for preserving in the Azov basin the population of sterlet, a fish of a highly valued breed of the sturgeon family included in the Red Book of Russia.
The environmental policy of "Russian Highways" State Company is intended to preserve the environment and fully compensate for the damage caused to nature during the construction and operation of the highways, including M-4 Don.
To this end, in 2016, more than 430 thousand fry of bream were released as part of M-4 reconstruction project in Rostov Region. In 2018, 1,073 young sturgeon fry were released before beginning of the reconstruction of the bridge over Dzhubga (1519th km of M-4 Don). In 2020, over eight thousand fry of the Black Sea salmon were released in the Krasnodar Krai.
