Move expected to have no impact on Minnesota’s harvest season

As of July 1, recreational anglers are prohibited from keeping any lake sturgeon they catch in Ontario, according to the Ontario Ministry of Nature Resources.
Evidence shows that over harvesting is a major factor in putting the species at risk. As a result, only catch and release of this species will be allowed, according to the MNR.
The move on the Ontario side of the border will not influence lake sturgeon harvest on the Minnesota side, said Kevin Peterson, area fisheries manager with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Office in International Falls.
“At this time, I am not aware of any plans to change sturgeon regs on our side of the border,” he said Thursday. “We implemented several changes to sturgeon regulations over the past few years.... We’re fairly comfortable the sturgeon harvest is close to sustainable levels.”
Peterson said the DNR will continue to monitor the sturgeon harvest on the Minnesota side of the board to ensure that it is near the target levels. “That’s an ongoing process, we do it regularly, because it’s a very important fishery, a valuable resource,” he said.
The Minnesota late season lake sturgeon harvest on Minnesota/Canada border waters opened July 1 and runs through Sept. 30. A sturgeon tag is required to harvest a sturgeon, but anglers may fish catch-and-release without a tag. Sturgeon must be 45-to 50-inches, inclusive, or more than 75 inches to harvest. Immediately upon reducing a fish to possession, the sturgeon tag must be validated and attached. Harvested sturgeon must be registered within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the MNR noted that traditional use of lake sturgeon by Aboriginal peoples for subsistence and ceremonial purposes will not be affected.
The Ontario change will affect 16 of the 20 Fisheries Management Zones in the province. Two zones already have zero catch and possession limits and two zones have closed seasons.
To further protect the species:
• No recreational fishing for lake sturgeon will be permitted on the Mississagi River
• The province will reduce the commercial fishing quotas across the province to zero in 2009.
Ontario’s lake sturgeon has declined considerably over the last century, with only about 100 water systems now supporting viable sturgeon populations, according to the MNR.
The ministry will consult with stakeholders and Aboriginal people to develop a long-term province-wide management strategy that will address issues affecting the sustainability of sturgeon populations.
“Over harvesting of lake sturgeon is a serious threat to its sustainability,” said Ontario Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield. “We are taking action in Ontario to protect the long-term health and recovery of this species.”