2009 Fall SOS (Save Our Sturgeon) Event

Since 2009 there have not been funds available for a permanent hatchery, so the NWSRI has been unable to continue rearing juvenile sturgeon from egg to 4 month olds since 2009.

Last year we had the funds to raise 70,000 larvae until they were afew weeks old. They were then released into the Nechako River as part of an ongoing larval substrate study.

June 2009, when a Broodstock fish was released. 

brood collection

2008 was the third year in which the CSTC with funding assistance from Alcan Primary Metals-BC, PGNAETA and  capacity development funding through the Aboriginal Fishing Strategy (AFS) and Environment Canadas Aboriginal Capacity Building; Species at Risk Program, has conducted brood stock collection of White Sturgeon in the Nechako River.  A temporary mobile hatchery was established in Vanderhoof in 2006.  It was a huge success with approximately 4200 marked and tagged juveniles were released back into the Nechako River in October and November.  

On May 21 the first spawning event of 2008 took place in Prince George. 

2007

Spawning of the three males and four females collected througout May, started on May 29, 2007.  Eggs are collected from the mature female, and combined with male milt in a bowl.

Approx. 10 minutes is allowed for fertilization.  Then a clay is added to the mix to prevent the eggs from sticking together.  The eggs are stirred using a feather for 60 minutes.

adult and juvenile assessment

Staff conducted sampling for adult and juvenile White sturgeon using setlines in Stuart, Trembleur and Fraser Lakes.  In 2006 a total of 17 sturgeon were captured. 

hatchery

Once fertilized, the eggs were moved from the Fresh Water Fisheries Society of BC hatchery in Prince George to the Vanderhoof rearing facility, located next to the Nechako river near the Burrard Street Bridge.  The three family groups have now used up their yolk sac and are feeding independently (as of July 3).  The families were transported to Prince George after June 29th, 2007 due to the flooding event in Vanderhoof.  All three larvae families are doing well at the Prince George reaing facility.  The juvenile sturgeon will remain there until the risk of flooding has subsided.

juvenile marking and tagging

Prior to being released the juveniles are scute tagged, measured for length and weight and have a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag inserted, between the midline and dorsal fin, behind the head.  A scute (sharp, hard plate) is removed to denote the year of release.

   Mike Keehn removing a scute on a juvenile at the Prince George Facility. The needles used to insert PIT tags, and the tags themselves (orange/grey).

2nd Annual SOS - Save Our Sturgeon

Juvenile Sturgeon School Release October 10-11, 2007

It was a busy place at Riverside Park in Vanderhoof on Oct 10th.  Over 500 juvenile sturgeon (15-22g) were transported from Prince George in the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (FFSBC) transport truck.  School buses began arriving at 10am with eager students.  They came from Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, Nadleh Whut’en, Tachie, Nak’azdli, Fort St. James, and the Vanderhoof area.  The students were divided into groups and rotated through three stations.  Station 1 was an information talk.  Brian Frenckel, Vanderhoof councillor talked to the groups about basic sturgeon biology, their endangered status, the pilot hatchery and what they could do to help save the sturgeon.

Christina Ciesielski and Kathi Zimmerman talk to the school students about the endangered status of the Nechako White Sturgeon and how they can help.

 A hatchery raised juvenile sturgeon

On day 2, October 11, 2007

Another busy day with slightly less school kids attending.  The stations were the same, however at 11am the dignitary speeches commenced with Fisheries Minister Barry Penner, Vanderhoof Mayor; Len Fox, President of the FFSBC; Don Petersen and Saik’uz councillor Albert George (Vanderhoof is on the traditional territory of the Saik’uz First Nation).  Following their welcoming remarks and praise for the work being done Canada Post representative Ken Buker stepped up to the podium.  Mr. Buker unveiled the Canadian endangered White Sturgeon $0.52 stamp, as part of the endangered aquatic series of four stamps available October 2007.  This series was preceded by a series of four terrestrial endangered species in Canada, during 2006.

3rd Annual SOS: Save Our Sturgeon

Juvenile Sturgeon Release, October 1-2, 2008 in Riverside Park, Vanderhoof.

The third annual juvenile release event was a huge success. The weather was sunny and warm when over 900 school children, teachers, local public and volunteers gathered at the Nechako River to help in the recovery of the endangered white sturgeon.  Every student named and released a 4 month old juvenile white sturgeon into the Nechako river. 

For more information contact: Carla Wainwright at: 250-562-7747 or Christina Ciesielski at 250-562-6279.