Lake sturgeon are more restricted in their distri- the use of seine nets and set lines and limiting gill
bution in Quebec than they are in either Manitoba net mesh from 190 to 203 mm. Commercial fisheries
and Ontario, such that their range covers the south- in theLake Temiskaming and northern areas are
west corner of the province from La Grande River operated on an annual quota basis. Quotas on Lake
on James Bay to the St. Lawrence River in the south Temiskaming are set at 0.08 kg ha–1. This quota is
(Figure 5). The eastern limit occurs on the St. Law- considered to be a sustainable harvest level and is
rence at about the Saguenay River because of in- used as a model for the management of lake stur-
creasing salinity. Even though no populations in geon fisheries in northern Quebec. Rccommenda-
Quebec are known to have been extirpated, some tions have been made to cut0.3kg ha–1 quotas for
have declined (Rejean Fortin personal communica- other northern locations in half. Furthermore. the
tion). After reviewing the available information on quotas for such large systems should be determined
the 14 populations referred to previously (Fortin et by available sturgeon habitat and not by the total
al.^3 ), biologists recommended that four fisheries be waterbody area. Finally, pulse fishing, where the to-
closed. These include the Ottawa River in the tal allowable harvest for several years is removed in
south, the Hurricana and Gueguen rivers in the one year and then the fishery is closed in successive
southcentral area of the distribution and the Baska- years, has been suggested in Quebec.
tong Reservoir lying north of the Ottawa River. The In contrast to the Canadian situation where lake
Ottawa and Hurricana River populations, are con- sturgeon are considered common in many parts of
sidered overexploited. The Baskatong population the country, their distribution within the United
is showing signs of stress through variable year-class States is fragmented. Lake sturgeon have been
strength and may be restricted to suboptimal classed as a rare species overmuch of its range in the
spawning habitat due to deposition of wood and de- United States by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
bris. The Gueguen population does not appear to The species is considered threatened in Nebraska,
be reproducing successfully as current harvesting Illinois, and Kentucky, rare in Minnesota, Missouri.
yields very few small fish Lake sturgeon in the Me- Arkansas, and Alabama, endangered in South Da-
giscane area, roughly centrally located in the distri- kota, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Vermont, Pennsylvania,
bution, are considered vulnerable despite having a West Virginia, and Tennessee and depleted in Ge-
high harvest level. Closure of the Megiscane pop- orgia by local state authorities (G. Priegel & T.
ulations has not been recommended but restric- Thuemler personal communication). Wisconsin is
tions on harvest have been suggested. the only state where lake sturgeon can be consid-
The St. Lawrence River populations of Quebe ered common.
are showing signs of overexploitation from the in- Combination of the mtDNA haplotype and sta-
tensive commerciall fishing that has occurred for tus data suggests that both northern and southern
several generations (Figure 5). In recent years, the populations of lake sturgeon have been impacted
commercial harvest from this system has been over by anthropogenic influences. For example, a pop-
100 tonnes, probably the largest commercial lake ulation with multiple haplotypes and possibly rep-
sturgeon fishery in North America (Dumont et al. resenting the descendants of a Missourian refugial
1987).Lake sturgeon are abundant in the St. Law group (e.g.,lower Nelson River) has been designat-
rence River near Montreal but populations are con- ed rare. Similarly, rare designation has been as-
sidered poor in the upstream Lac St. Francois area signed to populations with single haplotypes (Lake
and downstream from Lac St. Pierre (Trois Rivieres St. Clair, Ottawa River), possibly from a Mississip-
area) towards the Saguenay River. Analysis of data pian refugium. Although our genetic analysis pro-
collected in the 1980’s led to restrictions on the fish vides important information on the glacial history
ery in the rives upstream from Trois-Rivieres. Elin- of lake sturgeon relevant to the conservation of this
inationofcertain permits and reducing the length of species it docs not have the resolution (genetic vari-
the season reduced the harvest while protection of ation) to identify management units. For instance,
mature breeding fish was sought through restricting we cannot determine whether management units
martin jones
(Martin Jones)
#1