A sturgeon (file photo)
STOCKBRIDGE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With sturgeon spearing just around the corner, thousands of people are gearing up for the season.
But an upcoming federal ruling could put the prehistoric fish on the endangered species list.
Many hope an informational meeting Monday will help draw attention to help save the age-old tradition.
With a capacity of about 500 or so, the facility at Stockbridge High School is expected to be busy Monday night.
“I’m hoping we pack the gym. We’ll really send a signal, hopefully to the federal government, saying that this is extremely important,” said State Rep. Ty Bodden, R-Hilbert.
State Representative Ty Bodden says the town hall informational meeting will feature local, state, and federal lawmakers. He says fishing clubs, Sturgeon for Tomorrow, and the public will be represented too. Bodden says the issue stems from a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services decision expected on June 30. That could add lake sturgeon to the Endangered Species Act. Some say that could end spearing sturgeon. Mark Ecker is with the Quinney Fishing Club.
“Obviously we’re worried. Otherwise we wouldn’t be going through all this. We don’t want to lose our tradition,” said Mark Ecker, Quinney Fishing Club.
The two-week tradition brings a reported $3.5 million economic impact to the area. And that’s not all. Bodden says the decades of Department of Natural Resources science ensures Lake Winnebago’s sturgeon population is healthy.
“We set quotas. We know what the capacity of Lake Winnebago is, what the surrounding lakes are. We have it figured out. We will not let it, these people, the fishing clubs, the Sturgeon for Tomorrow, the DNR will not do anything to harm the population of lake sturgeon,” he said.
Bodden says the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is allowed to consider the Winnebago System sturgeon population as its own ecosystem, and keep it off the endangered list. But he says he’s still concerned about spearing’s future.
“I hope we don’t get to that. I think that’s what would happen. But we’re going to hold off on that, and remain optimistic that the USFWS did make the right decision,” said Bodden.
The meeting is Monday at 7 p.m. at Stockbridge High School.
The sturgeon spearing season kicks off on February 10.
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