An eight-foot rare fish, recently at the centre of a dispute over legal rights, was handed over to the Natural History Museum last week by Cornish fish merchant Tim Alsop.
Sturgeons are rarely seen in UK waters, this specimen was caught off the coast of Wales on Wednesday, 2 June 2004, and mysteriously disappeared a day later and became the subject of an investigation by the Devon and Cornwall Police. The police were treating the disappearance as theft and an appeal was made for the fish to be donated to the Natural History Museum.
Legal rights to the fish were already being investigated before the theft took place as the sturgeon is believed to be an Atlantic species and as such is a royal fish. Being a royal fish, if caught, it becomes the property of the crown.
The dealer had therefore approached Buckingham Palace and been granted permission to dispose of it as he wished. However, the species is also protected by CITES wildlife legislation, making it illegal to sell them and the police were looking to clarify the situation when the theft took place.
The controversial sturgeon has now been recovered and the owner decided to donate it to the Natural History Museum’s national collection.
‘Sturgeons are extremely rare fishes now, particularly in British waters, so this catch is hugely important,’ said Oliver Crimmen, Natural History Museum Fish Curator. ‘We are very grateful to Tim Alsop for agreeing to give the fish to the Museum’s national collection. Once the species has been confirmed we hope that the fish will be kept in perpetuity by the Museum, alongside Darwin and Cook specimens, for all to enjoy.’
