Sturgeon Study

Purpose/Objective:

• Understand white sturgeon and green sturgeon population dynamics.
  
  
• Determine how abundance, distribution, and mortality rates of adult sturgeon are affected by water development and the sport fishery.
  
  
• If sturgeon populations are negatively impacted by changes in freshwater outflow and water export associated with water development, develop criteria to reduce the impacts.
  
  
• If the sport fishery causes unacceptably high mortality on the populations, address through changes in angling regulations.

ACTIVITIES:

Abundance estimates are made using tag and recapture methods. Sturgeon are tagged and released in San Pablo Bay during fall. Each tagged fish is measured. A year-round creel census is conducted to learn the tagged to untagged ratio and to determine the size composition of catch. Tag returns (corrected for non-response using reward tags) are used to estimate annual harvest rates, mortality rates and migrations.

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For more information about this program element contact:
Marty Gingras, California Department of Fish and Game