So what is killing the Nechako River giant sturgeon? Government scientists are asking for the public’s help in solving this mystery after 11 of the iconic and endangered fish were recently found dead in the Nechako in central BC. The fish were all adults of a species that can reach six meters in length and live for more than 100 years. Their bodies showed no visible external injuries and provincial scientists did not believe the deaths were caused by disease, chemical exposure, trolling or gillnet fishing, the Department of Land, Water and Resource Management said. The dead fish had all been found since last week, the ministry said. Story continues below ad
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Nikolaus Gantner, the ministry’s senior fisheries biologist for the Omineca region, said it was the first time such a level of mortality had occurred in such a short period of time. “We haven’t seen anything like this in recorded history … So these mortalities are obviously concerning, especially in Nechako, where this hasn’t happened before to this extent,” Gantner said. Scientists are trying to maximize what they can learn from each die-off, but considering some of the fish were “quite decomposed,” the research was challenging, Gantner said. “I’ve been told by vets and other experts that even a few hours can make a difference in whether we can learn something from this fish or not.” That’s why help from public affairs, he said.
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Anyone who finds a dead white sturgeon in the Nechako or Fraser Rivers is asked to report details by phone at 250-649-2876 or by email to Gantner along with photos of the fish. “And the sooner we can get to them, the more we can learn from our mortality,” Gantner said. Story continues below ad White sturgeon in the Upper Fraser and Nechako rivers are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. As Canada’s largest freshwater fish species, the white sturgeon is a “dinosaur” fish, said Sarah Schreier, executive director of the Fraser Sturgeon River Conservation Society. “Because they’ve been in our river for so many years and generations, they also have a very important spiritual and cultural connection to all of our communities and our First Nations communities,” he said. The sturgeon is also considered an apex species, at the top of the food chain in its aquatic ecosystem, Schreier said. “It’s like the canary in the coal mine. They are a real barometer of the health of this ecosystem. So when we see them struggling, it tells us that we also need to look at the overall health of the ecosystem and the watershed,” Schreier said.
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Schreier said habitat loss likely affected sturgeon food supply, with lower salmon numbers making it harder for sturgeon to reproduce. Although Schreier was saddened by the death of the sturgeon in Nechako, she hoped the incident would mean more people would learn about the endangered species and how to help them. Story continues below ad Gantner’s email to report any discoveries is [email protected] 2:07 Like a sturgeon, caught for the first time Like a sturgeon, caught for the first time – August 19, 2019 This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 11, 2022. This story was produced with financial assistance from Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship. Related News © 2022 The Canadian Press
