The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rates the conservation status of this fish as "critically endangered" and "possibly extinct in the wild." For a long time, scientists reported that no spawning was observed in the wild. However, a number of organisations are concerned in attempts to preserve this species and a captive breeding scheme has been established, with young microchipped fish released into the wild officially since 2004, following EU projects (Life03nat/IT/000113 and subsequents); before 2004, almost only post-larvae and very small sturgeons were released (since 1988), at a time when fishing of sturgeons was still allowed in Italy (until 1997) and the allochtonous wels catfish ("Silurus glanis") was at the apex of its numerical expansion in Italian rivers, so the survival rate was extremely low.