| Atlantic
sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus, are ancient fish, dating
back at least 70 million years, and can be found along the entire
Atlantic coast from Florida to Labrador, Canada. They are anadromous,
migrating from the ocean into coastal estuaries and rivers to spawn.
Atlantic sturgeon may live up to 70 years old, with females reaching
sexual maturity between the ages of seven to 30, and males between
the ages of five to 24.
Since
colonial times, Atlantic sturgeon have supported commercial fisheries
of varying magnitude. In the late 1800s, they were second only
to lobster among important fisheries with landings estimated at
seven million pounds per year just prior to the turn of the century.
Overharvesting of sturgeon for flesh and eggs (known as caviar)
continued through the 1990s until the Commission and federal government
implemented a coastwide moratorium in late 1997 and early 1998.
Because the population has been severely overfished, the Commission’s
Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Sturgeon calls for a rebuilding
of 20 yearclasses, which is estimated to take a minimum of 40
years from 1998. Several facilities culture Atlantic sturgeon
for stocking and consumption purposes. <species
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