Greenwire: Despite many of its 25 species being endangered, the whisker-snouted sturgeon is flourishing in upper Wisconsin thanks to strict protection laws. The state has cracked down on spearing and poaching while boosting restocking efforts. The well-guarded spring spawning, a popular tourist attraction, has also helped boost the population.
“If we can restore the sturgeon population in the Great Lakes and manage the current population effectively, then we know we are doing a pretty good job of managing other aspects of the aquatic community,” said state sturgeon expert Ron Bruch.
The spring spawning finished last week and visitors flocked to Lake Winnebago’s tributaries to see the fish struggle through shallow water to lay eggs. The event brings in $350,000 a year to nearby cities.
Lake Winnebago has about 40,000 sturgeons, close to where the population was in the 1800s. It had dipped to 10,000 in the 1950s, but conservation efforts brought the population back up. In the Great Lakes system, there are 156,750, less than 1 percent of the population from two centuries ago.
Still, Bruch is concerned that the sturgeon’s success could pose a risk. With other areas facing shortages, he thinks poaching incidents could rise, especially since lake sturgeon caviar is popular. Other states allow some sturgeon hunting and spearing, but the sale of domestic lake sturgeon meat and eggs is illegal in the United States (Carrie Antlfinger, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, April 23). – JP