Romania’s rarest fish caught and released by the book: 400 asprete under a research derogation on the Vâlsan

The asprete, a fish known only from the Vâlsan river and considered one of the rarest in the world, will be legally caught and measured until the end of the year. The Ministry of the Environment has approved a derogation for 400 specimens, with the obligation that each one be released alive, at the spot from which it was taken. Order of the Minister of the Environment, Waters and Forests no. 1.682 of 17 August 2026, published in the Official Gazette of Romania no. 691 of 20 August 2026, approves a derogation for the purpose of scientific research for two fish species. It is the second act this year through which the ministry steps in on the regime of a single protected species, after the one by which the turtle dove hunting period was cut to zero days. The general rules for recreational anglers have changed in the meantime: MADR Order no. 260/2026 moves the permit online and requires a catch record.

The derogation concerns Article 33(1) of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 57/2007, the text that prohibits, as a rule, the capture of specimens of strictly protected wild fauna species. The order has five articles and an annex containing the report template that the holder must fill in after each outing in the field.

The two species are treated differently in terms of numbers. For Barbus meridionalis, known as the Mediterranean barbel, 1,000 specimens are approved, adults and juveniles alike. For Romanichthys valsanicola, the asprete, or Romanian darter, 400 specimens are approved, again adults and juveniles. In both cases, the table in the order shows the same state of the specimens before and after collection: alive.

On 28 August 2026 the agriculture ministry also extended the list of places where commercially caught fish may be landed and sold: MADR Order no. 250/2026 adds nine entries, almost all of them on the Olt reservoirs.

What it changes in practice

The first effect is the exception from the ban itself. Without this order, capturing an asprete would have remained prohibited, whatever the scientific purpose. The derogation covers three distinct operations: capture, inventory and subsequent release, within three protected natural areas, Valea Vâlsanului (ROSCI0268), Munții Făgăraș (ROSCI0122) and the Valea Vâlsanului Nature Reserve (code 2125).

The second effect is the restriction to a single holder. The capture is carried out only by the Centura Verde Foundation, with specialist technical staff, for the objectives of conserving the asprete under the „Aspretele Trăiește” project. No other organisation and no individual can invoke this order.

The third effect is the obligation to release. The specimens are captured temporarily, for biometric measurements, and released at the same location, unharmed. This is not a harvesting authorisation, but one for controlled handling, and the expected result is a set of data, not a collection of specimens.

The fourth effect concerns the way the work is done in the field. The order prohibits machinery with a high degree of wear or with fuel and lubricant leaks, requires engines fitted with noise attenuators and casings, and imposes limits on activities that produce noise pollution. The holder must comply with the management plans and rules of the areas where it works and must keep records of the waste generated.

The fifth effect is liability for damage. If accidents or interventions occur that harm the conservation objectives or the integrity of the sites, the ecological restoration works are approved by the National Agency for Environment and Protected Areas and are carried out at the holder’s expense. An event that puts the environment at risk is reported immediately to the agency, to the National Environmental Guard and to the ministry.

The sixth effect is the reporting chain, with two deadlines. Within seven days of the capture, the holder sends the county environmental directorate a report for each action, following the template in the annex. The county directorate forwards, within a maximum of 30 days from the application of the derogation, a report on the results to the National Agency for Environment and Protected Areas and to the ministry.

What has changed compared with the previous situation

The underlying rule does not change. The ban in Article 33(1) of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 57/2007 remains in force for everyone. What changes is that, for a limited list of specimens, one named holder and one defined period, it does not apply.

The derogation has an expiry date. It is set from the date the order enters into force until 31 December 2026, so it covers a little over four months. After that date, the order can no longer be invoked, and carrying the monitoring further requires a new act.

The second change is that an additional authorisation appears, separate from the order. Under Article 2(11), for the capture itself the environmental permit for harvesting/capture has to be applied for and obtained. The order lifts the general ban, but it does not take the place of a permit.

The third new element is the documentation. The annex introduces a standard form, with the applicant, the species, the number of specimens, the stage of development, the state before and after collection, the place and date of collection, the means used and the destination of the specimens, plus the reason for the derogation ticked from a list of five options laid down by law.

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