The International Symposium on Sturgeon (ISS) was initiated in 1989 in Bordeaux, France, by a group of scientists interested in the conservation and sustainable aquaculture of sturgeons. The organizers of ISS1 agreed to hold the conference once every four years afterward. At ISS4 in 2001, a foundation committee was founded in Oshkosh, aiming to build a home for ISS, and the World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS) was established in 2003. The WSCS has been co-organizing ISSs since then. The ISS9 was planned in Qiandaohu, China, in 2021 but was canceled due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The ISS has grown as an academic and technological forum worldwide and has achieved significant advancements in sturgeon research and aquaculture.
 •ISS1, Bordeaux, France, 1989 |
 •ISS2, Moscow, Russia, 1993 |
 •ISS3, Piacenza, Italy, 1997 |
 •ISS4, Oshkosh, USA, 2001
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 •ISS5, Ramsar, Iran, 2005 |
 •ISS6, Wuhan, China, 2009 |
 •ISS7, Nanaimo, Canada, 2013 |
 •ISS8, Vienna, Austria, 2017 |
The ISS10 is jointly hosted by Wuhan University, China Three Gorges University, and China Three Gorges Corporation on behalf of WSCS and the Aquatic Branch of the China Wildlife Conservation Association. It will be held in Yichang, China, between October 20-25.
Wuhan University (WHU)
Wuhan University (WHU), founded in 1893, is a key comprehensive university directly under the Ministry of Education. WHU's academic excellence has been widely recognized. In 1999, the world-renowned journal Science hailed it as one of China's most outstanding universities. By 2024, WHU ranked 134th in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, 89th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), and 194th in the QS World University Rankings.
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China Fisheries Association (CFA)
The China Fisheries Association (CFA) is a non-profit national social organization formed voluntarily by fisheries production and processing, machinery manufacturing and related enterprises, as well as scientific research institutions and local associations. The purpose of the CFA is to promote the green, high-quality and sustainable development of fisheries industry and to strive for the modernization of the fisheries industry in China.
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National Engineering Research Center for Eco-Environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (NECEYB)
The National Engineering Research Center for Eco-Environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (NECEYB) is the first state-level scientific and technological innovation platform self-organized by China Three Gorges Corporation Limited (CTGC). The mission of the center is to establish the integrated technology system and become the firm base for hydro-environmental protection and hydro-ecological restoration in the Yangtze River Economic Zone.
https://www.yeec.com.cn/hbjt/ywzt/gczx/index.html
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China Three Gorges University (CTGU)
China Three Gorges University (CTGU) has an outstanding and beautiful nature on its campus. It is a comprehensive university in Hubei Province with over one hundred years of history. ISS10 will be held in its modern International Conference Center.
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The World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS)
At ISS3 in Piacenza, a suggestion was made to create an association that would help facilitate the exchange between conservation activities and aquaculture of sturgeons on a global scale. Also, it was felt that to facilitate this exchange, the ISS would have to become a regular event. At ISS4 in Oshkosh, a foundation committee was created, which included thirteen people. Finally, the World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS) was established in 2003. Its foundation made its vision a reality, providing a home for the ISS. WSCS intends to act as an international forum for scientific exchange for all persons interested in pertinent issues concerning sturgeons while seeking opportunities for close cooperation at a global level.
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The Society's vision is to see stocks thriving once again in important sturgeon waters in the basins of the Caspian, Azov, Black, North, and Baltic seas and rivers in Europe, Siberia, China, and North America. Through its activities, the Society enhances the understanding of species protection worldwide and across borders in regions with different cultural and political backgrounds (highlighting the importance of sturgeons as umbrella species) to foster the sustainable use of natural resources that are traded globally.