May 23, 2013 — Atlantic sturgeon, an ancient species that in the 19th century briefly made New Jersey a world capital of the caviar trade, are now on the endangered species list. But fishermen’s nets now won’t threaten the sturgeons’ survival, as they make a slow population recovery along the East Coast, according to a new analysis by government biologists.
Continuing use of gear like fixed gill nets for monkfish — a valuable commercial fishery to New Jersey — “could adversely affect, but is not likely to jeopordize” the survival of Atlantic sturgeon in the wild, according to the report issued this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Fishermen, scientists and government managers still must work together to minimize the accidental capture and loss of Atlantic sturgeon, a long-lived but slow-growing species. When the fish were listed under the federal Endangered Species Act in April 2012, estimates were it will take 40 years to restore the population to numbers to sustain itself.
New Jersey captains’ experiments with modified monkfish nets “does have potential, some promising results,” said Brad Sewell, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which in 2009 filed the endangered species petition that led to sturgeon being protected. But “one thing that disappoints” in the NOAA paper “is it does not appear to require anything to move that process forward,” he added.
The NOAA finding, formally called a biological opinion, is good news for fishermen who worried the sturgeon listing could lead to more restrictions and even shutdowns of fisheries at times when the animals migrate along the coast. Still ahead is the task of setting limits for how often Atlantic sturgeon can withstand “takes” — encounters with fishing gear.
Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press