* 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.

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

*Head

Flattened head

*Head (flattened, long snout)

*Barbels

Long snout with up to four barbels

*Barbels (Four feelers for food)

*Mouth

Mouth protrudes

*Mouth (protrudes to suck up food)

*Body

Cartilage, no bony skeleton

*Body (long, no bones, cartilage)

*Scutes

Rows of sharp bony “scutes”

*Scutes (Row of sharp thick plates)

*Tail

Special tail – similar to a shark

* Tail (Heterocercal-Top longer than bottom)

* 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 are we doing?

*Build awareness

*Presentations to Schools

*Sturgeon at Rivers Day

*Habitat Rehabilitation

*Research (the reasons why sturgeon are

endangered)

*Sturgeon Hatchery

*Juvenile Recovery

*What have we found? Juvenile Recovery

*This year we caught 33 juvenile sturgeon.

*20 wild sturgeon

*4 wild recaptures

*9 hatchery released

*Egg Mates

*What can you do to help?