To preserve what remains of the giant Atlantic sturgeon, the federal government placed the fish on the endangered species list Friday. That leaves state officials waiting for the other shoe to drop.
North Carolina, as did some of the other states affected by the listing, opposed federal protection, though the sturgeon’s population in state waters is at historic lows.
State officials aren’t so much worried about fishermen being fined for catching sturgeon since the state has banned possession of the fish since 1991. The numbers are so low that few hook-and-line fishermen have ever seen a sturgeon.
The state based its objections primarily on restrictions likely to be included in a plan that the federal government must devise to restore the sturgeon’s habitat. It could include restrictions on commercial fishing gear and inlet dredging.
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