Frequently Asked Questions

What is a shortnose sturgeon and why is it endangered?

The shortnose sturgeon and its much larger cousin the Atlantic sturgeon are members of the most ancient group of fishes in the world. These fish are still very much in demand on the black market for caviar. The shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon were once plentiful in most rivers on the Atlantic coast extending from the St. Johns River in Florida to the St. Johns River in New Brunswick where there was a fairly good size commercial fishery for both caviar and flesh.

Dams that block their natural upriver migrations to spawn, over fishing, dredging, habitat loss, and pollution have contributed to the reduction of the populations. The shortnose was declared a federally endangered species in 1967.

Can you describe the work done at Bears Bluff with the Shortnose Sturgeon?

The Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery is at the forefront of a national effort to replenish the once commercially valuable species to its natural river habitats up and down the East Coast. Bears Bluff is the largest holding/spawning facility in the world for shortnose sturgeon. Its mission is to improve fish culture techniques as part of the final “Shortnose Sturgeon Recovery Plan of 1998.” Juvenile sturgeon produced at the facility are used in on-station research and are distributed to other research facilities, such as universities, fish hatcheries, other U.S. Fish and Wildlife fish technology centers, and other government facilities. No hatchery-produced sturgeon are used for restocking, although that is a probable long-term objective of the recovery effort.