They’ve got their whole lives ahead of them.
Around 500 Juvenile White Sturgeon are set to be released into the Kootenay River on Thursday. The annual event invites the public to join the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operation and Rural Development, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and several other organizations in releasing the fish.
Rare and Endangered Fish Biologist Sarah Stephenson says there’s about 1000 wild adult sturgeon left in the river.
She adds they want to maximize the genetic contribution for the wild-fish.
The 500 juvenile sturgeon are just a portion of the total number that will be released this year. Over 250,000 hatchery juveniles have been released since 1993, the goal is to increase the adult population to 8,000 individuals which the ministry estimates will take at least another 15 years of hatchery assistance.
The release on Thursday takes place at Old Ferry Landing from 11 am to 1 pm.
