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Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation in Lake Superior

Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation in Lake Superior. Henry R. Quinlan Ashland Fishery Resources Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ashland, Wisconsin. Lake Sturgeon Subcommittee. Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Mike Donofrio Bay Mills Indian Community Ken Gebhardt Fond du Lac Band

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Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation in Lake Superior

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  1. Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation in Lake Superior Henry R. Quinlan Ashland Fishery Resources Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ashland, Wisconsin

  2. Lake Sturgeon Subcommittee • Keweenaw Bay Indian Community • Mike Donofrio • Bay Mills Indian Community • Ken Gebhardt • Fond du Lac Band • Brian Borkholder • Bad River Band • Rick Huber • Red Cliff Band • Greg Fischer • GLIFWC • Mike Plucinski • Bill Mattes • Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources • Mike Friday • Ed Iwacheski • Michigan Technological University • Dr. Nancy Auer (Chair) • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Henry Quinlan • John Weisser • Jeff Slade • Wisconsin DNR • Steve Schram • Jeff Roth • Steve Fajfer • Michigan DNR • Dr. Ed Baker • Minnesota DNR • John Lindrgen

  3. Introduction • 1980’s Lake Sturgeon Surveys • 1990 Fish Community Objectives • Re-establish depleted stocks • 1994 Sturgeon Subcommittee • Status report - 1997 • Rehabilitation plan – 2002

  4. Status Report • Spawning Tributaries • Reasons for Decline • Summarized Population Characteristics

  5. Historic Spawning Tributaries Nipigon Black Sturgeon Gravel Big Pic Wolf White Kaministiquia Michipicoton Pigeon Batchawana Harmony St. Louis Sturgeon Goulais White Ontonagon Tahquamenon Bad Montreal

  6. Historic Abundance Total commercial catch of lake sturgeon from Lake Superior waters. Baldwin et al 1979

  7. Reasons for Decline • Targeted Commercial Fishery • Habitat Loss • Sawmill waste • Log drives • Hydroelectric dams • Poor water quality • Harbors/shipping • Incidental Catch

  8. Population Characteristics • Bad River, WI • Annual spawning run of 200-300 adults • Sturgeon River, MI • Annual spawning run of 200-250 adults • Kaministiquia River, ONT • 175 fish in a 15 km stretch

  9. Current Reproduction • Larval Sturgeon or Fingerlings Collected • Larval drift net • Visual observation / dip net • Backpack electrofisher • Bottom Trawl • Seine

  10. Current Reproduction Nipigon Black Sturgeon Gravel Big Pic Kaministiquia Michipicoton Batchawana Sturgeon Goulais White Bad

  11. Rehabilitation Stocking St. Louis Ontonagon

  12. Self-sustaining Spawning Populations • Lower St. Louis R. – 1983 • Fry and fingerling • Upper St. Louis R. - 1997 • Eggs • Ontonagon R. - 1998 • Fingerling

  13. Stocking Success • Abundance increase in St. Louis R. • 0 to 5-6/gill net night in river • First year classes stocked will soon mature

  14. Telemetry and Tag Returns

  15. Status Summary • Natural Reproduction • Estimated Abundance in few Tributaries • Stocking Increased Abundance • Movements Wide Ranging

  16. Rehabilitation Goal • Fish Community Objective • To maintain, enhance, and rehabilitate self-sustaining populations in 17 tributaries where the species historically spawned

  17. Rehabilitation Plan • Defines Rehabilitated Self-sustaining Population • Identifies Issues and Strategies • Management and Research Needs

  18. Self-sustaining Population • Minimum of 1,500 Spawning Adults • Only a portion spawn in any given year • Evidence of Annual Natural Reproduction • Roughly Equal Sex Ratio • 20+ Year Classes of Adults

  19. Key Issues and Strategies • Harvest Management / Regulations • Determine exploitation rates • Spawning and Nursery Habitat • Id and quantify critical habitat • Stocking and Genetics • Reproductively isolated populations • Genetically-based stocking

  20. Key Issues and Strategies • Sea Lamprey Management • Control strategies • Community Interactions • Competition and predation • Outreach and Public Education • Increase awareness and support

  21. Track Rehabilitation Progress • Presence of Adults at Spawning Sites • Increase in Adult Density or Numbers • Presence of Drifting Larval Sturgeon • Presence of Juveniles

  22. Rehabilitation Status • No Populations Meet Self-sustaining Criteria • 3 Populations Meet Some Criteria • 20+ adult year classes • Annual reproduction • Sex ratios 2-3:1

  23. Rehabilitation Status • Run of River flow agreements • Nipigon River, Ont. • Sturgeon and Ontonagon rivers, MI • Genetic Studies in Progress • Regulations Changes Made or Proposed • 2 Egg Sources and 2 Hatcheries in Basin

  24. Rehabilitation Status • New Partnerships Formed • Sturgeon subcommittee • Commercial fishers • Binational Program - LaMP • Outreach • Lake sturgeon brochure • Aquarium and Visitors Center • Great Lakes lake sturgeon website • http://midwest.fws.gov/sturgeon/index.htm

  25. Research Needs • Determine Current Abundance and Status • Describe and Quantify Habitat for All Life Stages • Contaminant Levels and Affects • Determine Stocking Densities

  26. Canada vs USA “Clash of the Sturgeon” HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES! 8:30 pm

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