Sturgeon (Nme) Monitoring
Status of lake sturgeon (nme; Acipenser fulvescens)
The Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence population of lake sturgeon (nme; Acipenser fulvescens)
is designated as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO)
is designated as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
Sturgeon are culturally important animals to Shawanaga First Nation, as many Shawanaga members are a part of the Sturgeon clan.
The project so far…
In 2019, Shawanaga First Nation and Georgian Bay Mnidoo Gamii Biosphere launched a project aiming to address knowledge gaps of the lake sturgeon populations in eastern Georgian Bay and of the cultural significance of lake sturgeon for First Nation communities in the region.
By seeking out Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in combination with contemporary scientific sources, a report was created with a more holistic view of the species and its importance. Using information compiled through a literature review, surveys, interviews, and knowledge sharing events, the report outlines current knowledge of local lake sturgeon populations and discusses next steps for conservation work on this species.
Moving Forward
As of 2024, Shawanaga First Nation’s Species-at-Risk team has received funding for a continuation of this project focused on the movement ecology, critical habitat, and life cycle timing windows of the lake sturgeon using acoustic telemetry and Indigenous Knowledge (IK).
Main objectives include tagging lake sturgeon with acoustic telemetry transmitters for passive movement tracking, installing Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS) receivers targeting suspected lake sturgeon spawning habitat, interviewing First Nations community members to gather Indigenous Knowledge.