Bloomington, Minn. — On Monday, April 22, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that after conducting a thorough assessment of the species’ status using the best available science, the agency has determined that lake sturgeon do not require listing under the Endangered Species Act.
The Service’s 12-month findings show that continued management efforts, such as fish stocking, have contributed to the conservation and resilience of the species.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the power of collective conservation and the impact it can have on species like lake sturgeon,” said Will Meeks, Midwest regional director. “The fact that we are seeing increasing numbers of lake sturgeon spawning in their historic habitat is a clear sign that recovery efforts are progressing. This success is attributed to the many partners, including states, tribes, local organizations and others across the country, who have come together to protect this species.”
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Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity in 2018, it petitioned the USFWS to be placed on the endangered list under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) for all lake sturgeon in the country or separate lists of threatened or endangered distinct populations. The USFWS was subject to a federal court order requiring a decision on the status of lake sturgeon by June 30.
Sturgeons have a prehistoric appearance due to their immense size, shark-like tails, and bony armor plating. Dating back at least 150 million years, the lake sturgeon is one of the largest freshwater fishes in North America, inhabiting the rivers and lakes of the eastern and central United States and Canada.
The most widespread ongoing conservation action included in the assessment was stocking of captive-reared lake sturgeon. Stocking programs have led to increases in adult lake sturgeon numbers and spawning behavior.
Although populations are not at historic levels, these successful programs have both strengthened existing populations and reintroduced lake sturgeon to areas where they have become extinct, such as the Red River of the North, the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, the middle Mississippi River, and the Coosa River.
Other effective conservation measures include restoring habitat connectivity through dam removal, fish passages and habitat restoration.
The Service’s unreasonable 12-month findings regarding the ESA listing petition for lake sturgeon and supporting information for that decision are available today at public inspection in the Federal Register Reading Room and I will publish in Federal Register on Tuesday, April 23, 2024
More information can be found at www.regulations.gov under file number FWS-R3-ES-2024-0022.
