WWF in Georgia, with the financial support of WWF Switzerland and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, launched the second phase of the project “Strengthening Sturgeon Conservation in Georgia”. The project covers several components and some of the deliverables it supports are:

• Establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform to promote, communicate, advocate and coordinate sturgeon conservation issues among key stakeholders – governmental, scientific, non-governmental and private sectors. 
•  Protection of the critical habitats for sturgeon conservation through the legal recognition of the sites.
•  Develop and initiate the implementation of the sturgeon monitoring programme.

The project also includes measures aiming at raising awareness on sturgeon conservation and the importance of the Rioni River. The project inception meeting was held on 27 April 2021. The meeting was attended by representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as by scientists. The main purpose of the meeting was to present the second phase of the sturgeon conservation project to key stakeholders. Besides, the attendees were informed about sturgeon conservation activities carried out in Georgia by Fauna and Flora International. The participants also discussed the importance and possibilities for the improvement of cooperation and coordination among the stakeholders.According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), almost all sturgeon species are globally critically endangered. All six sturgeon species native to Georgia are also listed in the National Red List of Georgia.There are several rivers left worldwide, where sturgeon spawning grounds remained and sturgeon species are still naturally reproducing. The Rioni is one of those high conservation value rivers. The Rioni and the Danube are the last functional sturgeon spawning rivers in the Black Sea basin and the Rioni itself is the last remaining sturgeon spawning river in Georgia and the eastern part of the Black Sea.