Post on 26-Dec-2015
Presented By: Cora McIntoshCarrier Sekani Tribal CouncilJanuary 2011
*Nechako White Sturgeon Outreach
*Why is the white sturgeon special?
*Been around since the dinosaurs , 175 million years ago
*Old; Can live to be over 100 years old
*Large; grows to over 6 m in length and up to 1800 lbs it is the largest fresh water fish in British Columbia.
*Endangered, very few left, less than 400 adults
*Genetically distinct; no other species are the same
*Very slow to reproduce. Females start spawning between age 20 to 30, and every 5-10 years after maturity
*Summary of the body parts of the Nechako White Sturgeon
Long snout with up to four barbels
Rows of sharp bony “scutes”
Special tail – similar to a shark
Cartilage, no bony skeleton
Flattened head
Mouth protrudes
* Dinosaurs present between 175- 290 million years ago
Stegosaurus; Jurassic period 138-205 mya
Ichthyosaur; Triassic period 205-240 mya
Liopieurodon ;Ichthyosaur 240 million years ago
*Compare to animals of today
*Sturgeon is 6m (20ft), and weighs up to 800kg (1800lb).
*Male Moose are 3m (10ft), and weighs up to 600kg (1320lbs)
*Hippopotamus is 3.3m (11ft long), and weighs up to 1500-3200kg (3,300-7000lbs)
*Endangered Species
*Population ageing, few young fish (juveniles)
*Endangered as per the Species at Risk Act (SARA)
*Now fully protected, it is against the law to have a sturgeon or any sturgeon parts (2007)
*May become extinct within the next twenty years
*Why are the Sturgeon endangered?
*Human Impact
*Habitat altered*Bottom structure altered
*Kenny Dam 1950’s
*Few young fish remain
*Global climate
*What have we found? Juvenile Recovery
*This year we caught 33 juvenile sturgeon.
*20 wild sturgeon
*4 wild recaptures
*9 hatchery released