Although current sturgeon conservation efforts are making meaningful impacts, more needs to be done to prevent them from extinction. The commercial caviar industry is doubling production, habitats are deteriorating, poaching remains a threat, and wild sturgeon populations are rapidly declining.
While they’re still critically endangered, improving sturgeon conservation strategies can protect and repopulate this pre-historic fish species. Here’s how we can still save sturgeon and their habitats by elevating our conservation standards.
6 Ways to Strengthen Current Sturgeon Conservation Efforts & How They Help
Did you know that sturgeon are the most endangered species group in the world? Now more than ever is the time to strengthen current sturgeon conservation plans as populations are still rapidly declining. Here are six ways how.
1. Sturgeon Habitat Restoration
Wild sturgeon habitats are deteriorating globally for multiple reasons, including climate change and human-caused developments. Hydropower dams are blocking sturgeon migration routes, rivers are disconnecting from climate change, and unstainable mining practices are destroying sturgeon spawning habitats.
Sturgeon fish are a migratory species that travel up to 1,864 miles to spawn. Without access to migratory routes, they cannot populate.
Sturgeon habitat restoration must include:
- Cleaning pollution from freshwater rivers, seas, lakes, and sturgeon migratory routes
- Restoring rivers and dam connections with artificial migration routes
- Installing migratory routes in blocked areas from hydropower dams and reservoirs
- Investing in clean energy over unsustainable mining to reduce climate change impacts
While this remains a significant threat, sturgeon conservation efforts with habitat restoration can help stabilize and grow the species.
2. Enhanced Security of Illegal Sturgeon Fishing Locations
Poaching is one of the leading causes of sturgeon endangerment. From 2016 to 2022, 337 sturgeon wildlife crimes were reported, and 995 sturgeon species were seized. The illegal caviar food trade is still an ongoing issue with poaching and fishing in prohibited habitats where sturgeon are critically endangered.
Enhancing security and sturgeon conservation measures in illegal fishing locations can help prevent poachers from making wild sturgeon extinct. However, for local authorities to effectively enforce security efforts, they need more resources to provide enhanced protection.
Local and federal governments must be responsible for funding sturgeon security resources, including:
- Camera traps
- Drone surveillance
- Underwater sonar systems
This technology also collects data and receives alerts from illegal hook lines to prevent poaching, illegal commercialization, and sturgeon crimes. The public can also help enhance sturgeon security efforts.
You can anonymously report wildlife crimes to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) if you suspect illegal sturgeon activity. If you see non-government-affiliated boats in illegal sturgeon fishing locations or suspicious people with large amounts of sturgeon fish, you can help local authorities catch unethical wildlife traffickers.
3. Captive-Bred Sturgeon Farm Investments
Sturgeon conservation measures require more investments from captive-bred sturgeon farms to prevent further pressure on their critically endangered status. Current breeding facilities in the sturgeon caviar food trade must invest in long-term production to allow sturgeon to adequately breed.
It takes 15 to 20 years for male sturgeon fish to mature and females around 20 to 25 years on average—then spawning every two to six years. Compared to other aquatic species that produce annually, sturgeon fish have uniquely lengthy breeding cycles. Sturgeon fish can also live up to 100 years old!
Captive-bred sturgeon facility investments must include:
- Industrial-Sized Breeding Tanks: Sturgeon are the largest existing fish species and can grow around 6.5ft long and up to 200 lbs.
- Government Permits & Licensure: Sturgeon farms must receive legal certifications to ensure their production processes remain compliant and sustainable.
- Stock Output Requirements: Sturgeon breeding facilities must replenish the number of fish they remove from their habitats to prevent further wildlife population declines.
Sturgeon farms can still maintain their commodities by following these sustainable production practices before harvesting their meat and eggs.
4. Sturgeon Conservation Law Improvements
While current sturgeon conservation efforts from government legislation are helping, like the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and illegal sturgeon fishing locations, these regulations must be modernized.
The FWS must categorize endangered sturgeon species in the wild and captive separately. Farmed sturgeon don’t affect wild populations or reduce their consumer demands. It allows sturgeon commerce to continue in the U.S. while conserving wildlife species that require ESA protections.
International cooperation is also required as sturgeon fish species are critically endangered throughout the world, with some species already extinct. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, the Chinese paddlefish, wild Yangtze sturgeon, and regional ship sturgeon in the Dunabe are officially declared extinct due to heavy poaching.
A global approach encourages international governments to pass legislation and protect the highest-risk sturgeon species.
5. Increased Public Education
Many people aren’t aware that caviar comes from only sturgeon or what a sturgeon is. Media news sources must increase public education on the current sturgeon conservation status, which can help give them the protection they need.
It increases public awareness and political pressures to strengthen current sturgeon conservation laws. It also encourages the public to become involved with sturgeon conservation groups and non-profit organizations with donations to fund their mission-critical initiatives.
6. Sturgeon Conservation Groups Support
Donating to sturgeon conservation organizations helps give them the funding they need to protect captive and wild populations. It requires legal permits and resources to restore sturgeon habitats, which cannot be accomplished alone.
Donating to sturgeon organizations funds their conservation missions, including:
- Aquaculture and biological scientific field research
- International legislation advocating efforts
- Public environmental education
We recommend working with sturgeon conservation groups specifically, as they’re species experts who know the best practices to maintain legal and safety protocols. They ensure that sturgeon habitats and other aquatic species aren’t destroyed while trying to protect them.
Anyone Can Make a Difference: Support SIAA’a Sturgeon Conservation Efforts Today
Sturgeon conservation is more than preventing them from extinction. It’s also about saving our freshwater ecosystems and impacted aquaculture species if sturgeon become extinct.
And there’s still time to take action. Anyone can become involved and make a difference to improve current sturgeon conservation measures.
Safeguard sturgeon species by becoming an SIAA member or donating today!
