Sturgeon Recovery Introduction

• The number of sturgeon in the SRSMB area is much lower now than historically.
• This has been due primarily to a combination of habitat loss and historical over-harvest.
• The population is no longer large enough to support a commercial fishery and, if it declines further, may soon fail to support the traditional uses of local Aboriginal people.
• A recovery program can stop the population decline by:
  • Decreasing mortality (the number of fish that die) by voluntarily reducing harvest.
  • Increasing recruitment (the number of new fish each year) by stocking and by allowing the number of spawners to increase through voluntarily reducing harvest.
  • Protecting and enhancing habitat, such as the quantity and quality of water.
• The SRSMB is undertaking a recovery program consisting of several components including population monitoring, population enhancement, habitat assessment, habitat use studies, and public education.