| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
This letter report presents the findings of surveys for hatchery reared four month old white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), approximately one week from their release into the Nechako River. Approximately 4,200 sturgeon were released in stages at 3 separate locations (river kilometer [rkm] 145, 136, and 116) within the Nechako River as part of a pilot conservation fish culture program spearheaded by the Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative (NWSRI). Surveys presented in this report were conducted after the release of the first cohort of fish (n = 1,958), of which 22% (n = 431) were released from the Highway 27 Bridge (rkm 145), 56% (n = 1,096) from the Vanderhoof boat launch (rkm 136) and 22% (n = 431) from the overwintering hole adjacent to Steve Legg’s property (rkm 116.7). Surveys were initiated in order to assess the dispersal of the juveniles from the release locations. The main objectives of this pilot survey were to determine the effectiveness of various equipment and methods for visually locating juvenile sturgeon, and to assess the movement of and habitat used by the juveniles shortly after release. Design, mobilization and implementation of the study were almost immediate, precluding a rigorous peerreviewed study design. However, the pilot surveys should facilitate future planning and study design geared towards meeting specific objectives of the NWSRI. |
