February 15-18, 2009 Washington State Convention Center Seattle ...

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OKLAHOMA’S PADDLEFISH MANAGEMENT AND CAVIAR PROGRAM
Gordon, Brent D.
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
N.E. Regional Fisheries Supervisor
P.O. Box 1201
Jenks, Oklahoma 74037 USA
bgordon07@sbcglobal.net
Oklahoma has one of the largest naturally-reproducing paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) populations in North America and offers
what are arguably the best recreational fishing opportunities for these fish anywhere in the world. The current paddlefish
fishery is the result of a concerted management by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) biologists and
rigorous anti-poaching efforts by ODWC’s game wardens. With such a good fishery, agency personnel saw both a challenge
and opportunities on the horizon.
To improve the management and conservation of this species, ODWC personnel saw a need for additional studies examining
the long-term effects of threats such as the introduction of exotic species, illegal harvest, and changes in the watersheds where
paddlefish are found are necessary. Some of the biological data that were needed cannot be obtained without sampling large
numbers of fish. The agency does not want to kill fish just for the sake of a research project, and until this program, there was
no large-scale system for collecting data from angler-caught fish.
The approach taken by ODWC consisted of installing a Paddlefish Research and Processing Center (RPC) and the equipment
needed for the collection of data. On a voluntary basis, 4,221 legally harvested paddlefish were brought to the RPC where
basic biological information such as body length, weight, sex, condition, gonadal weights (green eggs), and gonadal fat weights
were recorded. Dentaries were also collected from a high fraction of fish brought into the station. The number of paddlefish
needed to obtain statically valid data cannot feasibly be obtained in any other situation. In this program, sport anglers donate
paddlefish eggs in exchange for having their fish cleaned and bagged free of charge. The roe are then processed into caviar
and sold on the world market.
In the first year of operation the RPC produced 3,636kg of paddlefish caviar. Implementation of this program should give the
ODWC the necessary information for assessing stock status and determining acceptable harvest levels. The project is designed
to provide a framework for proper stock assessment, monitoring, and management as part of a recreational paddlefish fishery.
The main purposes of the program are to: 1) provide alternative funding sources for continued monitoring and expanded research;
2) utilize a resource currently being wasted (discarded roe). 3) facilitate the gathering of biological data such as dentary
bones for determining population age structure and gonadal information from paddlefish to properly answer questions about
reproduction and recruitment in Oklahoma and 4) to increase the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife’s law enforcement capabilities,
which will help reduce illegal commercialization of paddlefish and eggs.