Seventy years ago, I swam in the Göta River – now I'm going to be reintroduced to my former home.
Atlant sturgeon has large flat fins instead of normal fish scales, can grow over four meters long and weigh over 350 kilograms.
This ancient giant disappeared from the Göta River mainly due to intense fishing and poor water quality.
This summer, young sturgeons will be released into the river with the hope of bringing back the extinct species in Sweden.
Right now, some of the fish are being marked with small sound transmitters so that their movements can be tracked, reports Sveriges Radios Naturmorgon.
Atlant sturgeon lives for years at sea and then swims back to the river to spawn. Historical records suggest that it can live over a hundred years.
The species is an important piece of the river's ecosystem, according to Sportfiskarna, which is running the reintroduction project together with researchers at the University of Gothenburg and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).