Restoration of Atlantic sturgeon in the northeastern USA with special emphasis on culture and restocking

Abstract

Summary Stocks of anadromous Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) on the east coast of the United States are severely depleted due to past over‐fishing and habitat loss and degradation. All commercial fisheries for this species are now closed and several state and federal agencies are investigating the use of cultured fish for stock replenishment. A breeding and stocking protocol was developed to address genetic concerns and to provide guidance for culture programs. Several thousand 3‐month old cultured fingerling sturgeon were stocked in the Hudson River, New York, in 1994. Based on mark‐recapture techniques, juvenile recoveries in 1995 and 1996 indicated that wild production was very weak in that river. In 1996, several thousand cultured and marked yearling sturgeon were stocked in the Nanticoke River in Maryland. Over the next 10 months, these fish grew well and became distributed throughout the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia. The amount of useful information gained from these two examples of using cultured Atlantic sturgeon suggests a broader potential role. Without active intervention, such as a long‐term commitment to using cultured fish, some sturgeon stocks on the U. S. Atlantic Coast may be lost.

Review of the current status of the Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus Mitchill 1815, in Poland: principles, previous experience, and results

“…Sturgeon brood stocks are being created with the goal of maintaining genetic polymorphism (total genetic integrity of the species). A total of 100 individuals from various year classes are needed to provide an effective size of a founder population size (St. Pierre, 1999; Gessner et al., 2006; Rosenthal and Pourkazemi, 2006).…”

A guide to the embryonic development of the shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), reared at a constant temperature

“…In addition to providing caviar production, aquaculture techniques can be used to aid conservationists. Conservation aquaculture has been used to enhance current stocks and reintroduce several species of sturgeon to their historic ranges (Chebanov and Savelyeva, 1999; Schramm et al., 1999; St Pierre, 1999; Chebanov et al., 2002; Ireland et al., 2002). Efforts are currently underway by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife to supplement and reintroduce shovelnose sturgeon populations in Ohio and West Virginia (G. Conover, U.S.…”

Impacts of life history and biogeography on the genetic stock structure of Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, Gulf sturgeon A. oxyrinchus desotoi, and shortnose sturgeon A. brevirostrum

“…Because the Combahee River collection consisted of adult fish that were sexually mature in August and September, we were able to compare that population to previous samples of youngof-year and yearling fish from the nearby Edisto River. The existence of a native Chesapeake Bay stock has remained an important management question in that region, particularly concerning the possibility of restocking of Chesapeake Bay tributaries with hatchery-reared individuals from other river systems (Waldman and Wirgin 1998;St Pierre 1999;Secor et al 2000).…”