Scientists used to think that the Lake Sturgeon was a threatened species, but now they say it’s not and that it doesn’t need protection under the threatened Species Act. They said that wildlife could return to places where their numbers were dropping because of stocking schemes.
It took a long time for the Center for Biological Diversity in Arizona to win this case. They have been working to get the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to put the Sturgeon on its endangered species list. If it does, it will be against the law to fish for it.
The center says that overfishing and habitat loss are to blame for the species’ decline, and experts say that pollution and change in the flow of water have done “irreparable harm.”
Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the center, said, “This is a disappointing decision because the lake sturgeon has gone down a lot overall, even though some populations are well managed.” Curry went on, “Protecting these iconic fish under the Endangered Species Act would bring a comprehensive recovery plan and ongoing funding to bring them back to their old range.”
Chuck Traxler, who is the deputy regional head for the Wildlife Service, said that stocking has helped the wildlife stay in the area. “It doesn’t mean everything is good right now,” Traxler said to stress that more needs to be done. This phrase means “keep up the good work.”
The Lake Sturgeon is an old fish that lives in fresh water in the North. It has been around for more than 130 million years, the same amount of time as dinosaurs.
At first, people thought the fish were a bother because they tore fishermen’s nets, which led to widespread overfishing, which put the species in danger. Fish like sturgeons can’t have enough babies because it takes them thirty years to reach breeding age. As of now, twenty states have made it illegal to catch sturgeon because of these changes.