There is presently no commercial fishery for Lake Sturgeon in the Nelson or Hayes rivers. The sport fishery is restricted to catch and release and current effort is negligible. Although the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and Lake Sturgeon has changed, the species continues to be harvested to some extent by all Indigenous communities participating on the KSNC, and remains a culturally important food source.

Why do some Lake Sturgeon have Tags?

Lake Sturgeon are tagged with different types of tags to help us better understand the size and health of local populations and their movement patterns.

External Floy^®and internal PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags are used to gather information on population size and health. Population estimates allow us to determine how the number of adults is changing. Lake Sturgeon are different from other fish in Manitoba, in that they do not begin to reproduce until they are at least 15 years old, and can live a very long time (more than 60 years and even up to 100 years). If the adult fish disappear before enough young fish are born or stocked, then the population is not stable. Tagging and recapturing fish makes it possible to estimate how many Lake Sturgeon are in the population, using a mathematical model. Each year as more data are collected and added to the model, the population estimates get more precise and accurate. Tagging and recapturing fish also gives information about the health of the population, including growth, survival and condition.

Acoustic telemetry is another form of tagging. It enables biologists to track their movements and learn what areas of the river Lake Sturgeon are using, how far they are moving, and when they are moving. These tags (internal acoustic transmitters) are surgically implanted inside the fish and powered by batteries that operate for 10 years. Each tag sends out a unique sound signal (“ping”) that identifies the individual fish and can be detected up to 1 kilometer away by underwater receivers. Currently, there are receivers placed along the Nelson River between Clark Lake and the Limestone Generating Station. Knowing where and when the receivers recorded pings from a particular fish enables biologists to follow the daily, seasonal, and inter-annual movements of individual fishes. Following the movement patterns of a number of fish from the same population provides very useful information on habitat use and importance.