Oregon Moves to Protect Green Sturgeon

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recently voted to increase protection for the green sturgeon that swim in its coastal waters.

The Commission voted to lower the size of fish that commercial fisheries are allowed to harvest. Earlier limits were set at 5 feet, 6 inches; the new limit is 5 feet. According to research on the fish species by the Wildlife Conservation Society, lowering the size limit protects most female adult fish, while still leaving up to 47 percent of the smaller adult males available harvest. Reducing the size limit to 5 feet will help to ensure genetic diversity and also matches commercial limits set with for other fish species caught for sport in Oregon and Washington.

The green sturgeon can grow to lengths of more than seven feet and weigh up to 350 pounds. It is one of about 25 species of sturgeon worldwide, many of which are critically endangered due to the worldwide demand for their eggs, commonly known as caviar. The U.S. has recently banned the import of caviar from the beluga sturgeon in the Caspian and Black Seas, and many conservationists worry that this might threaten other sturgeon populations around the world.

While there isn't currently a high commercial demand for the green sturgeon, the species has faced increasing threats in recent decades due to loss of habitat, decreased water quality, and an increase in predators.

--Ker Than

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Credit:  S. Sautner/Wildlife Conservation Society