Avoiding inbreeding and increasing effective population size for the restocking of genetically impoverished species: the case of the critically endangered European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio)

The success of conservation programs of genetically depleted species is challenging. Breeding tactics, restocking strategies, and selection mechanisms in the wild may lead to the possibility of only a small number of parents contributing to a large proportion of the supplemental progeny, leading to reduced genetic diversity. However, there is only limited empirical evidence supporting this statement.