Federal wildlife officials have decided not to place lake sturgeon on the endangered species list, allowing annual spearing seasons in some states to continue.
Lake sturgeon don't need Endangered Species Act protections, federal wildlife officials announced Monday, saying that stocking programs have helped the prehistoric fish return to areas where they had vanished. The decision ends the Arizona-based Center of Biological Diversity's petition filed in May 2018 asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list lake sturgeon as endangered or threatened.
But stocking has helped grow adult lake sturgeon populations and increase spawning, agency officials said. Putting the creatures on the list would be like going to the emergency room, and the rebounding species doesn't need that level of protection, said Chuck Traxler, the wildlife service's Midwest deputy regional director. 'It doesn’t mean everything is good right now,' he said. 'It means keep up the good work.
The agency also pointed to reef restoration work in the corridor connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie that has created a place for sturgeon to lay eggs and noted that nine of 43 toxic spots along Great Lakes shorelines have been cleaned up. The assessment also noted the adaptable species should be able to withstand warmer water due to climate change. Media officials with the Center for Biological Diversity didn't immediately respond to email messages seeking comment Monday.
Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin still hold hook-and-line lake sturgeon fishing seasons. Michigan and Wisconsin hold sturgeon spearing seasons each winter as well where anglers drill holes through lake ice and impale sturgeon as they swim past. The Wisconsin natural resources department reported 432 sturgeon were taken in February, down from 1,405 in 2023. Warm weather and poor ice conditions led to the diminished return, according to the department.
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