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Status, Trends and Management of Sturgeon and Paddlefish Fisheries

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F I S H and F I S H E R I E S , 2005, 6, 233–265 Status, trends and management of sturgeon and paddlefish fisheries Ellen K Pikitch1,2*, Phaedra Doukakis1,2*, Liz Lauck3, Prosanta Chakrabarty4 & Daniel L Erickson3 1Pew Institute for Ocean Science, 126 East 56th Street, Mezzanine, New York, NY 10022; 2University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne, FL 33149–1098; 3Marine Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10460; 4Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA Abstract Correspondence: The 27 extant species of sturgeons and paddlefishes (Order Acipenseriformes) Phaedra Doukakis, Pew Institute for represent a unique and relict lineage of fishes. Producers of coveted black caviar, Ocean Science, 126 sturgeons are one of the most valuable wildlife commodities on earth. The group is East 56th Street, among the most endangered fishes with all species listed under Convention on Mezzanine, New York, International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix I (two species) or II (25 NY 10022, USA species), only two species considered Lower Risk by IUCN, four of the nine US taxa Tel.: 212 756 0042 Fax: 212 756 0045 and one Caspian species protected under the Endangered Species Act, and local E-mail: pdoukakis@ extinctions recorded for 19 of 27 species. Despite their well-publicized imperilled rsmas.miami.edu status, commercial pressure on 15 species persists. Here, after reviewing the biological characteristics of sturgeons and paddlefishes and their commercial use, an *These authors overview of global fisheries is presented. The synopsis demonstrates that, with few contributed equally to this work. exceptions, sturgeon and paddlefish are imperilled across the globe and long-term survival in the wild is in jeopardy. All major sturgeon fisheries have surpassed peak Received 15 July 2004 productivity levels, with 70% of major fisheries posting recent harvests <15% of Accepted 26 July 2005 historic peak catches and 35% of the fisheries examined crashing within 7–20 years of inception. Even in Caspian Sea fisheries, the most important globally, present catches are below 10% of historic peak landings. Improved domestic and international fisheries management and attention to habitat and species restoration is now needed. Although captive rearing offers promise for caviar alternatives and endangered species restoration, it must advance cautiously to avoid environmental harm. To ensure a continued supply of caviar and the survival of these unique fishes we offer recommendations for priority conservation action for the future. Keywords Acipenseriformes, aquaculture, caviar, conservation, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Introduction 234 Overview of Acipenseriformes 234 International harvest and trade 240 Major global fisheries 241 Caspian Sea 241 Black Sea and Sea of Azov 245 Ó 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 233 Sturgeon and paddlefish fisheries E K Pikitch et al. Amur River basin 247 Siberian rivers 248 Western North America 248 Anadromous species in eastern North America 249 Potamodromous species in inland and eastern North America 250 Sturgeon fisheries of the world: observations and recommendations 251 Status of Acipensiformes populations and fisheries 251 Recommendations on conservation priorities 253 Acknowledgements 257 References 257 Introduction Overview of Acipenseriformes Twenty-seven extant species of sturgeons and pad- Part of the Gnathostomata or jawed fishes, stur- dlefishes (Order Acipenseriformes) inhabit the riv- geons and paddlefishes represent an ancient Act- ers, estuaries, near-shore oceanic environments and inopterygian lineage. Dating from the Lower inland seas of the northern hemisphere (Table 1; Jurassic (200 Myr BP), these ‘living fossils’ retain Fig. 1; Birstein 1993; Grande and Bemis 1996; primitive characters including a heterocercal cau- Bemis et al. 1997; Bemis and Kynard 1997). A dal fin and ganoid scales (Gardiner 1984). Char- unique and relict lineage important in the evolu- acters such as a cartilaginous endoskeleton and tionary history of fishes, many sturgeons and hyostylic jaw suspension led to early classification paddlefishes now face extinction because of over- as sharks (Bemis et al. 1997). Since their genesis in fishing, pollution and habitat degradation (Birstein the Tethys Sea, Acipenseriformes lineages diverged 1993). Producers of black caviar, the unfertilized in Europe and Asia and later radiated in North eggs of true sturgeon, and commercial roe, the America (Bemis and Kynard 1997; Birstein et al. unfertilized eggs of paddlefish, the group has 1997b). All extant and fossil sturgeons and pad- experienced decades of intense exploitation fuelled dlefishes are from the temperate northern hemi- by a lucrative international caviar market. Their sphere with a distribution closely tied to the former fisheries have undergone boom and bust cycles, Laurasian landmasses (Eurasia, North America) with overexploitation resulting in harvest and (Grande and Bemis 1996; Bemis et al. 1997). Some population declines. Few viable sturgeon fisheries of the largest rivers and inland waterbodies are now remain. important sturgeon and paddlefish habitats Recent published works offer summaries of Aci- (Table 1; Fig. 1). penseriformes aquaculture, biology, conservation, The Order Acipenseriformes is divided into two evolution and genetics (Birstein 1993; Dettlaff et al. families, Acipenseridae (sturgeon) and Polyodonti- 1993; Bemis et al. 1997; Bemis and Kynard 1997; dae (paddlefish) (Table 1; Berg 1940; Grande and Birstein et al. 1997a,c; Findeis 1997; Choudhury Bemis 1996; Bemis et al. 1997). The 25 extant and Dick 1998; Billard and Lecointre 2001; species of sturgeon have spindle-shaped bodies Chebanov and Billard 2001; Fontana et al. 2001; covered by five rows of bony scutes and snouts Mims 2001; Van Winkle et al. 2002). After briefly with sensory barbells. The two extant species of reviewing these topics, we review the status and paddlefish lack scales and scutes and have a large management of 14 commercially important species, extended rostrum. Some taxonomic designations focusing on species for which improvements in based upon morphology have been challenged by fisheries management are most critical to restor- molecular studies and the true number of species ation and recovery. Species threatened exclusively and subspecies remains contentious (Grande and by habitat degradation, too endangered to support Bemis 1996; Mayden and Kuhajda 1996; Bemis commercial fishing or fully protected from exploita- et al. 1997; Birstein and Bemis 1997; Birstein et al. tion are only briefly mentioned. 1997b, 2002; Findeis 1997; Birstein and DeSalle 234 Ó 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, F I S H and F I S H E R I E S , 6, 233–265 Ó Table 1 Species of Acipenseriformes, current geographical range and conservation status. General references include Birstein 1993; Bemis and Kynard 1997; Birstein et al. 1997a; 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, F I S H and F I S H E R I E S , CITES 2000; Billard and Lecointre 2001; Williamson 2003. Binomials Common name Geographical range Status2 Range contractions A. baerii (Brandt, 1869)3 Siberian sturgeon Siberian rivers VU (IUCN); App. II1 Some Yenisey and Lena river reaches A. baerii baerii Siberian sturgeon Ob R. basin EN (IUCN) A. baerii baicalensis Baikal sturgeon Lake Baikal, Siberia VU (IUCN) A. baerii stenorrhynchus Lena River sturgeon Eastern Siberian rivers EN (IUCN) A. brevirostrum Shortnose sturgeon North America, eastern coast VU (IUCN); App. I; E (US ESA); SC (Lesueur, 1818)4 (COSEWIC); EN (CT, FL, GA, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, VA) A. dabryanus (Dume´ril, 1869)5 Yangtze/Dabry’s sturgeon Yangtze River system CR (IUCN); App. II Lower Yangtze River A. fulvescens Lake sturgeon Great Lakes, lakes of south VU (IUCN); App. II; SC (GA, NC), EN (IL, IN, EX (AL, AR, MS, WV), Mississippi (Rafinesque, 1817)6 Canada; Hudson-James Bay, IA, MO, OH, PA, TN, VT), TH (MI, NE, NY) Delta; Lakes Winnipeg, Ontario and Mississippi River drainage Erie A. gueldenstaedtii Russian sturgeon Ponto-Caspian region EN (IUCN1); App. II1 Upper Danube, Volga, Kuban rivers 6 , 233–265(Brandt, 1833) 235 A. g. gueldenstaedtii Caspian Sea A. g. colchicus Black Sea A. g. colchicus Azov Sea A. medirostris (Ayres, 1854)7 Green sturgeon North America, Pacific coast VU (IUCN); App. II; SC (COSEWIC); Southern population segment: Upper SC (California) Columbia Sturgeon and paddlefish fisheries A. mikadoi (Hilgendorf, 1892)8 Sakhalin sturgeon Pacific Ocean, Amur R. to N. EN (IUCN); App. II Korea Japan, Bering Sea, Tumnin R. A. naccarii (Bonaparte, 1836)9 Adriatic sturgeon Adriatic Sea, Po R. VU (IUCN); App. II Range contraction likely A. nudiventris Ship sturgeon Caspian, Black and Aral seas EN (IUCN; Black, Caspian), CR (IUCN; EX (Aral Sea, upper Danube R.) (Lovetsky, 1828)10 and rivers Danube River), App. II A. oxyrinchus11 (Mitchill, 1814) Atlantic sturgeon Gulf of Mexico and northern S. LR (IUCN); App. II1 America A. oxyrinchus desotoi Gulf sturgeon N. America, east coast, Florida VU (IUCN); T (US ESA); TH (AL, LA); SC (FL, A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus Atlantic sturgeon to Labrador GA); EN (MS) LR (IUCN); TH (CT, PA); EN (DE, MA); SC (FL, NC, VA); A. persicus (Borodin, 1897) Persian sturgeon Ponto-Caspian EN (IUCN); App. II1 E K Pikitch A. persicus persicus Caspian Sea VU (IUCN) A. persicus colchicus Black Sea and rivers EN (IUCN) A. ruthenus (Linnaeus, 1758) Sterlet Caspian and Black seas and VU (IUCN); App. II watershed; Siberian rivers et al. 236 Sturgeon and paddlefish fisheries Table 1 Continued. Binomials Common name Geographical range Status1 Range contractions A. schrenckii (Brandt, 1869)12 Amur River sturgeon Amur R. system EN (IUCN); App. II A. sinensis (Gray, 1835)13 Chinese sturgeon Yangtze R. system EN (IUCN); App. II Upper Yangtze A. stellatus (Pallas, 1771) Stellate sturgeon Ponto-Caspian EN (IUCN); App. II1 Upper Danube, Volga, Kuban rivers A. s. stellatus Caspian Sea VU (IUCN) E K Pikitch A. s. ponticus Black Sea EN (IUCN) A. s. donensis Sea of Azov EN (IUCN) A. sturio (Linnaeus, 1758)14 Atlantic (Baltic) sturgeon Baltic, Eastern N.
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  • First Record of the North American Paddlefish (Polyodon Spathula Walbaum, 1792) in the Serbian Part of the Danube River

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    Arch. Biol. Sci., Belgrade, 58 (3), 27P-28P, 2006. FIRST RECORD OF THE NORTH AMERICAN PADDLEFISH (POLYODON SPATHULA WALBAUM, 1792) IN THE SERBIAN PART OF THE DANUBE RIVER. Mirjana Lenhardt1, A. Hegediš2, B. Mićković2, Željka Višnjić Jeftić2, Marija Smederevac2, I. Jarić2, G. Cvijanović2, and Z. Gačić2. 1Siniša Stanković Institute for Biological Research, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia and 2Center for Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Key words: Non-native fish, Polyodon spathula, the Danube, Serbia UDC597.423(7:497.11) The North American paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, is one of Plovdiv and Vidin regions in Bulgaria (Hubenova et al., two living species of paddlefishes, the other being the Chinese 2005). paddlefish, Psephurus gladius. Although P. spathula was once abundant throughout the Mississippi River basin, since the be- In May 2006, a specimen of P. spathula was caught by ginning of the 20th century populations have declined dramati- professional fishermen near Prahovo in the Serbian part of the cally in most areas (Graham, 1997). Polyodon spathula is Danube River (river km 861). According to them, more speci- successfully reared in aquaculture, and, like sturgeon, is highly mens of different size and weight were caught at that time. The valued for its grayish-black roe (which is processed into caviar) specimens were caught with a floating drift net (100 x 4.5 m) and for its boneless firm white meat (Mims, 2001). with mesh size of 3.25 cm. They were identified according to Polyodon spathula is classified as vulnerable (VU) on the Page and Burr(1991). One specimen (Fig. 1) was deposi- IUCN Red List, and its international trade is restricted under ted in the collection of the Natural History Museum in Belgra- Appendix II of the CITES (since 11 June 1992).