Ilenkh 2030
Our team of scientists, field researchers, and community advocates shares a single purpose — restoring the Ilenkh River to its full ecological richness by 2030.
Leadership
Dr. Bayaraa Gantulga
Executive Director
18 years in Mongolian coldwater river conservation. Founding director of the Ilenkh. IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group member and advisor to the Mongolian Ministry of Environment.
Enkhjargal Dorj
Deputy Director & Conservation Lead
Coordinates all conservation programs and international partnerships. Her environmental law background secured protected corridor agreements along 180 km of the Ilenkh River.
Science & Research
Dr. Munkhjargal Bat-Erdene
Senior Aquatic Biologist
Leads population monitoring and spawning habitat research for Taimen and Lenok. Published 14 peer-reviewed papers on salmonid ecology in Central Asian river systems.
Otgonbayar Sukhbaatar
Research Technician & GIS Analyst
Manages all field data collection, spatial mapping of fish habitat corridors, and the project's long-term population database spanning 12 years of continuous monitoring.
Dr. Amarsaikhan Dorligjav
Water Quality Specialist
Conducts continuous river chemistry analysis, temperature profiling, and turbidity assessments to track habitat health across all three active monitoring zones.
Field Operations
Tuvshinjargal Gantsooj
Field Operations Manager
Leads all river expeditions on the Ilenkh and its tributaries. Expert in electrofishing, PIT-tagging, and remote camp operations in Mongolia's extreme seasons.
Narantsetseg Bat-Ochir
Hatchery Manager
Oversees the Ilenkh propagation facility, managing the captive breeding program for Taimen and Lenok. Maintains protocols for health monitoring, disease prevention, and release conditioning.
Batbayar Boldbaatar
Senior Field Technician
Specialist in passive integrated transponder systems and acoustic telemetry. Tracks individual fish movements across 200+ km of monitored river corridor year-round.
Community & Outreach
Tserenpuntsag Namsrai
Community Engagement Director
Builds and sustains relationships with herder communities along the Ilenkh River. Developed the project's co-stewardship framework, now adopted by three aimag governments.
Gantulga Boldbaatar
Youth Education Coordinator
Runs river literacy programs in 24 schools across Arkhangai Province, equipping the next generation with the knowledge and agency to become river advocates.
Dolgorsuren Myagmar
Communications & Documentation
Leads field documentation, photography, and storytelling. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Mongolia, BBC Earth, and the IUCN annual report.
International Advisors
Our international advisory panel brings world-class salmonid science and conservation policy experience to the Ilenkh project.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell
Large River Salmonid Ecology · UK
Royal Society Research Fellow. 22 years in salmonid population dynamics across Scottish, Scandinavian, and Central Asian river systems.
Prof. Jan Weissmann
Freshwater Conservation Policy · Germany
Former director of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology. Advises the EU on transboundary river conservation frameworks and endangered fish recovery protocols.
Dr. Aleksei Kirilov
Ichthyology & Taimen Biology · Russia
Lead researcher at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Author of the definitive monograph on Hucho taimen range, behaviour, and decline across Central and East Asia.
Work With Us
We're always looking for passionate scientists, field researchers, and community advocates to join our work on the Ilenkh River. View current openings or reach out directly.
Don't miss a thing. Sign up to receive news and updates from us.