EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

Anthropogenic Threats. Historic fishery harvests, as well as the incidental harvest in current
fisheries, have had lasting effects on shortnose sturgeon. In the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries shortnose sturgeon were harvested incidental to Atlantic sturgeon (NMFS
1998a). The effects of these harvests may have long-lasting impacts on some populations. At
present there is no legal directed fishing effort for shortnose sturgeon in the U.S., although some
illegal poaching is suspected. Additionally, shortnose sturgeon are often caught incidental to
other fisheries. For instance, shortnose are caught incidentally by bass anglers, and incidentally
to alewife/gaspereau and shad fisheries in the St. John River in Canada, shad fisheries in the
Altamaha River, Hudson River, and others (COSEWIC 2005).
Habitat alterations from discharges, dredging or disposal of material into waterways and other
developmental activities along riverine and estuarine systems threaten shortnose sturgeon
habitat. Periodic maintenance of harbors and rivers likely results in the direct take of some
sturgeon, but perhaps of greater impact is the manner in which dredging alters benthic
topography and community structure and water quality (increase in suspended sediments).
Shoreline development may increase the potential of ship strikes. In the Bay of Fundy, a tidal
turbine killed at least three Atlantic salmon in the 1980s and may be a threat to shortnose
sturgeon as well (Dadswell and Rulifson 1994). Although currently the only example of this type
of turbine in North America, increasing interests in finding alternative energy sources is expected
to result in an increase in the number of marine turbines along the coast.
Shortnose sturgeon and other benthic organisms are regularly in direct contact with legacy
pollutants, as well as a suite of common contaminants added from more current industrial and
agricultural practices. Studies demonstrate that shortnose sturgeon carry a wide number of
potentially hazardous contaminants. Individuals from the Delaware River contain numerous
metals (mercury, aluminum, antimony, barium, cadmium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron,
magnesium, manganese, nickel, potassium, sodium, vanadium and zinc), PCDDs, PCDFs, PCBs,
DDE, DDD, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butylphthalate and chlordane (ERC 2002). Most
of these metals, PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs were also found in shortnose sturgeon in the
Kennebec River (ERC 2003).
Critical Habitat
NMFS has not designated critical habitat for shortnose sturgeon.
Gulf sturgeon
Distribution
Gulf sturgeon are native to the Gulf of Mexico, from the Suwannee River in Florida to the Pearl
River in Louisiana.
Status
Gulf sturgeon were listed as threatened on September 30, 1991, because of population declines
caused by nearly a century of fishing pressure for meat and caviar, and habitat modifications
caused by the disposal of dredged material, de-snagging (removal of trees and their roots), and
other navigation maintenance activities; incidental take by commercial fishermen; poor water
142