51813_Sturgeon biodioversity an.PDF

Environmental Biology of Fishes 48:311–317,1997.
© 1997KluwerAcademicPublishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

Lake sturgeon management in the Menominee River, a Wisconsin-Michigan

boundary water

ThomasF.Thuemler

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1636 Industrial Parkway, Marinette, WI 54143, U.S.A.

Received2.8.1994 Accepted17.3.1996

Key words: Acipenser fulvescens, regulations, exploitation, population estimates, standing stocks

Synopsis

The Menominee River, a boundary water between northeastern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michi-

gan, contains a sport fishery for lake sturgeon,Acipenser fulvescens,which is jointly managed by both states.

Previous studies indicated that overfishing of this sturgeon population was occurring, and this investigation

examined the impact of new angling regulations. The sturgeon population is fragmented into sections by

hydroelectric dams. Stocks from the three main sections of the river were compared before and after imple-

mentation of the new angling regulations. Records of the legal harvest of lake sturgeon from each river section

were obtained through a registration system, which has been in effect since 1983, and estimates of exploitation

were derived from these data. Overfishing of lake sturgeon stocks in two of the three sections of the Menomi-

nee River is still occurring. Management recommendations are made which would allow for a continued

fishery by providing further protection to the stocks.

Introduction

Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, historically

occurred in larger rivers and lakes in three major

watersheds, the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River

and the Hudson Bay, throughout the eastern por-

tion of North America (Scott & Crossman 1973, Lee

et al. 1980, Houston 1987). They are now considered

to be threatened over most of their former range in

the United States (Miller 1972). In Canada, this spe-

cies is less abundant than formerly (see Ferguson &

Duckworth 1997 this volume). Many populations

are sufficient to provide modest managed fisheries

(Houston 1987). In Wisconsin, several self-sustain-

ing lake sturgeon populations support limited sport

fisheries (Larson^1 , Thuemler 1985, Folz & Meyers

1985). These fisheries are closely monitored to

guard against overexploitation. There are no com-

mercial fisheries for lake sturgeon in Wisconsin wa-

ters.

The Menominee River forms the boundary be-

tween northeastern Wisconsin and the upper penin-

sula of Michigan, and flows into Green Bay. Being a

border river, its fish populations are managed joint-

ly by the states of Wisconsin and Michigan. Studies

conducted in 1969 and 1970 and again in 1978 and

1979 on the lake sturgeon fishery in the Menominee

River (Priegel^2 , Thuemler 1985) suggested that ex-

ploitation was too high. Regulations were changed

to protect the stock and prevent closure of the stur-

(^1) Larson, T.R. 1988. The lake sturgeon fishery of Lake Wisconsin,
1978–1985. Fish Management Report #136, Wisc. Dept. Nat.
(^2) Priegel,G.R.1973.Lakesturgeon management on theMeno-
minee River.Tech.Bull.67, Wisc.Dept.Nat.Res.,Madison. 24
Res.,Madison. 34 pp. pp.