Rosneft Releases 200,000 Sturgeon Fry into the Irtysh River

RN-Yuganskneftegaz, a key production asset of Rosneft, has released 200,000 Siberian sturgeon fry into the waters of the Irtysh river. The species is included in the Red Book. The only way to remove it from the endangered species list is through artificial breeding.

On request from RN-Yuganskneftegaz, a fish farm in Yugra incubates black caviar and rears fish fry for one and a half months. When the fry are released, they are counted and weighed; each must weigh at least three grams. Along with the oil industry workers, scientists and specialists from the Federal Agency for Fishery and the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources are also participating in the fish stocking process.

The chosen location for the release of fish fry into the river was near the village of Bobrovsky in the Khanty-Mansiysky District. Easy access to the river, gentle currents, water quality and temperature were all taken into account of this choice. Experts note that the survival rate of fry in the wild exceeds 80%. It used to take approximately ten years for the sturgeon to reach spawning age. With recent climate changes, the water is getting warmer which allows fish to spawn at an earlier age.

This year’s first release of sturgeon fry is just the start of RN-Yuganskneftegaz’s major environmental programme to replenish aquatic biological resources. The release of the fry of particularly valuable species – sterlet sturgeon, nelma and muksun – into the rivers of the Ob-Itrysh basin is planned during the summer season. RN-Yuganskneftegaz is progressively implementing a comprehensive environmental protection programme. Over the past three years, over 18.8 million of valuable fish species' fry was released into the rivers of Yugra.

Environmental protection and conservation for future generations is an integral part of Rosneft’s corporate culture. The Company’s operations are aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of its production and reducing environmental impact. Rosneft has been working consistently to preserve biological diversity and replenish the country's aquatic bio-resources.

Department of Information and Advertising
Rosneft
June 25, 2026