LANSING, Mich. — LANSING, Mich. — A state representative has launched an effort to fight back against a potential ban at the federal level on harvesting lake sturgeon.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must determine whether or not to place the Lake Sturgeon on the endangered species list by June 30, 2024.
Republican Cam Cavitt, who represents the state’s 106th District, released a statement Wednesday saying the ban would be, “effectively spitting in the faces of all the sportsmen and wildlife experts that have been working diligently to preserve sturgeon populations and fishing seasons for decades.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering placing the lake sturgeon on the federal list of endangered species.
This consideration comes after a non-profit organization called The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition in federal court asking the agency to evaluate the Lake Sturgeon’s status.
“Lake sturgeon were once abundant in the Great Lakes and other watersheds such as the Mississippi River, but their populations have dwindled severely because of over exploitation and the effects of hydroelectric facilities, pollution, and invasive species.”
“Since the late 19th century, their population numbers have plummeted from an estimated fifteen million to less than one percent of that number. They have been extirpated from many of their historical spawning tributaries and, in some cases, from entire river drainages.”
The organization argues that if the federal agency does not act in a timely manner, the lake sturgeon could “face extinction”.
There are a number of reasons listed in the federal petition as to why they believe the lake sturgeon should be placed on the list.
“Lake sturgeon have a low reproductive rate and may not begin to spawn until they are between fifteen and twenty-five years old,” their petition reads.
They claim the fish are “harmed by historic dam construction, which blocked access to spawning and rearing habitat, by dramatic changes to water quality due to water pollution, and by ecosystem changes from water diversions, logging, conversion of land to agricultural use, and river channelization.”
Rep. Cavitt argues that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is appropriately addressing the state’s Sturgeon population.
“Since 2003, 33,416 juvenile lake sturgeon have been stocked into the Cheboygan River drainage via the Black Lake sturgeon facility. School kids across Michigan take part in building the sturgeon population by teaming with the DNR to raise sturgeon in the classroom. When they reach a certain age, those fish are released into the wild,” Rep. Cavitt said in a statement Wednesday.
“Folks across the country recognize how important lake sturgeon are to the well-being of freshwater ecosystems. Instead of working with these talented individuals to ensure fishing can continue alongside population preservation, the FWS would rather impose a blanket ban on everyone.”
The Black Lake sturgeon fishing season was cancelled for the first time ever in 2024.
“A harvest limit is set for each Black Lake sturgeon season. With the current marginal ice conditions and depletion of ice on Black Lake, there is concern of excessive harvest with the inability to effectively track harvests with limited DNR personnel on the ice,” the Michigan DNR said in a press release.
If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides the lake sturgeon should be placed on the endangered species list, a year-long period for public comment would go into effect.
