Royal splash - action to restore the Siberian sturgeon to one of the biggest rivers in the region

Environment groups estimate that legal catches amounted to 1,410 tons in the 1930s, but had plunged 128 times by 1997 due to over-fishing.

Now a major release of 4000 Siberian sturgeon fry was made in the Ob in a bid to gradually restore the fish.

In the presence of the governor of Novosibirsk region Vasily Yurchenko, it was the first release of big fry (100-150g) since 1990.

'Siberian sturgeon fry were raised in the incubation shop - Novosibirsk fish factory - which was established in 2009 for the reproduction of whitefish and sturgeon,' said the governor's press service.

The modern facility, the largest in the Ob basin, was a capacity of 250 million eggs which also includes white salmon and starlet.