Wildlife officials seek comments on federal plan to protect green sturgeon
By Matt Weiser

New protections for the threatened green sturgeon are being considered, and wildlife officials want public input on the plan.

The rules proposed by the National Marine Fisheries Service would prohibit certain activities that harass the giant fish, which range as far as Alaska but spawn only in the Sacramento River.

The protections are meant to prevent sturgeon from being killed by unnecessary handling, and may affect some fishing and water operations.

Green sturgeon are typically smaller than white sturgeon but are subject to similar threats from poachers and illegal harvest to produce black-market caviar. The fish reach up to 8 feet long, can reach 70 years old, and are vulnerable to entrapment in waterworks and fishing nets.

Comments on the plan must be submitted by July 20. For more information, visit http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/ or call (562) 980-4000.

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