A group of fishermen in British Columbia caught a massive white sturgeon measuring over 3 meters long and estimated to be at least 100 years old with the help of sonar equipment.
Fishermen posing with the century-old sturgeon. (Photo: River Monster Adventures)
The fishermen, Steve Ecklund and Mark Boise, caught the giant sturgeon while fishing near Lillooet, British Columbia, along with guides from River Monster Adventures, Nick McCabe and Tyler Speed, on June 19. Due to the sturgeon’s vigorous thrashing, it took the fishermen 2 hours to bring it aboard their boat.
The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America, reaching lengths of up to 4.3 meters and weighing 680 kilograms. According to the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society, white sturgeons can live over 150 years. This particular sturgeon had not been tagged, leading River Monster Adventures to suspect that this might be the first time it has been caught. Ecklund reported that the sturgeon measured 307 cm in length and had a belly circumference of 145 cm.
The guides explored the river using sonar equipment to locate sturgeons. After catching the fish and taking photos, they released the massive sturgeon back into the river, following regulations in British Columbia that have been in place for the past 25 years. Although they can lay up to 3 million eggs each spawning season, sturgeons only spawn every few years, which means they cannot quickly recover their populations in the face of current threats.
The number of sturgeons is declining in many areas of British Columbia and other habitats such as California, USA, due to habitat destruction and a decrease in food supply. Poaching has become a significant issue since sturgeon roe is highly valuable on the black market. In 2003, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada classified sturgeons as an endangered species.
