People thought that the Lake Sturgeon was a rare species, but federal wildlife officials say it isn’t and that it doesn’t need protection under the rare Species Act. They say that wildlife has been able to return to areas where their numbers were dropping because of stocking efforts.
The Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity fought this case for a long time. They’ve been trying to get the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to put the Sturgeon on its protected species list. If it does, it will be against the law to fish for it.
It was said by the center that overfishing and ecosystem loss are to blame for the species’ decline, and experts said that water pollution and diversions have done “irreparable harm.”
A senior scientist at the center named Tierra Curry said, “This is a disappointing decision because the lake sturgeon has gone down a lot, even though some populations are well managed.” Curry went on to say, “Protecting these iconic fish under the Endangered Species Act would bring a comprehensive recovery plan and ongoing funding to restore them across their former range.”
The deputy regional head of the Wildlife Service, Chuck Traxler, said that stocking has helped the wildlife stay in the area. Traxler said, “It doesn’t mean everything is good right now. More needs to be done.” Keep up the good work is what it means.
Lake Sturgeon is an old Northern freshwater fish that has been around for more than 130 million years, the same amount of time as dinosaurs.
People used to think the fish were a bother because they tore fishermen’s nets, which led to widespread overfishing, which put the species in danger. Sturgeons can’t have enough babies because it takes them thirty years to reach breeding age. Twenty states have already made it illegal to catch sturgeon because of these changes.
