Description: At present all 9 species of sturgeon and one species of paddlefish found in the U.S. are in some degree of conservation jeopardy, with some facing a high risk of extinction.  As such, great effort and resources are devoted at the federal, state and or local levels to protect and recover these species.  Through our symposium, we will examine the application of sturgeon and paddlefish recovery actions utilized throughout North America, with the intent of identifying shared successes and failures.   This symposium will facilitate network development and information sharing among sturgeon and paddlefish researchers in North America, and will ultimately aid managers and researchers as they identify actions to recover these species. The relative uniqueness of sturgeons and paddlefish has led to the natural development of a fisheries network that others can use as a model when developing networks for other species.  AFS members will benefit from this symposium’s presentations and discussions, as lessons learned may be applied to other species faced with similar anthropogenic threats.   

Structure of Symposium

1. Opening comments
2. Plenary Speaker – We intend to find a speaker to discuss the state of recovery for North American sturgeons and paddlefish
3. Series of topic presentations:

   Habitat restoration

   Fish passage options

   Alternative energy considerations

   Methods to assess recovery (e.g. population estimates, modeling etc.)

    

4. Species talks (1 or 2) to illustrate actions tried (both failures and success) to remedy threats to individual species

5. Closing will be panel discussion