Restoration of Atlantic sturgeon in the northeastern USA with special emphasis on culture and restocking

Summary Stocks of anadromous Atlantic sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrhynchus ) on the east coast of the United States are severely depleted due to past over‐fishing and habitat loss and degradation. All commercial fisheries for this species are now closed and several state and federal agencies are investigating the use of cultured fish for stock replenishment. A breeding and stocking protocol was developed to address genetic concerns and to provide guidance for culture programs. Several thousand 3‐month old cultured fingerling sturgeon were stocked in the Hudson River, New York, in 1994. Based on mark‐recapture techniques, juvenile recoveries in 1995 and 1996 indicated that wild production was very weak in that river. In 1996, several thousand cultured and marked yearling sturgeon were stocked in the Nanticoke River in Maryland. Over the next 10 months, these fish grew well and became distributed throughout the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia. The amount of useful information gained from these two examples of using cultured Atlantic sturgeon suggests a broader potential role. Without active intervention, such as a long‐term commitment to using cultured fish, some sturgeon stocks on the U. S. Atlantic Coast may be lost.