In the early 1900s, sturgeon was abundant in the St. Louis River. Over the century their numbers went into severe decline due to over-fishing and industry destroying spawning areas. For the past several decades there have been focused efforts to reintroduce sturgeon to the area.
"We're seeing the sturgeon coming back to the St. Louis River," says Jay Walker, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Aquarium. "They are seeing some signs of reproduction as well." Although numbers are slowly growing, there are not enough of the species to create a stable population. The Great Lakes Aquarium is now raising sturgeon for future release in the hopes of getting them to imprint on the local water.
In the recent past, the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Minnesota DNR were leading the way with this effort, but the Great Lakes Aquarium proved to have a better location and infrastructure to continue the work. "We're right on the river," says Shawn Weaver, Director of Learning and Engagement at the Great Lakes Aquarium. "Our ability to pull that water that we want them to imprint onto chemically is really easy for us." Expert staff and a focused place for community education also make the aquarium an ideal partner in this effort.
The process is a long one. Male sturgeons don't reach sexual maturity until their late teens, and females not until their 20s. Sturgeons don't reproduce every year and there are a number of variables that can change the outcome. By increasing the number of sturgeons that are released increases the likelihood that these fish will return.
For more information about current and upcoming events and information can be found on the Great Lakes Aquarium website.
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