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Sturgeon biodiversity and conservation

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282<br />

cated negative changes in status since 1983 (Table<br />

1). Significant positive changes were reported in Iowa,<br />

which changed status from declining to stable/<br />

increasing: Kansas, which changed from declining<br />

to stable/increasing; South Dakota, which changed<br />

from declining to stable; Wisconsin, which changed<br />

from stable to increasing; <strong>and</strong> Texas <strong>and</strong> West Virginia,<br />

which changed from declining to increasing.<br />

All but two of these states (Iowa <strong>and</strong> Wisconsin) implemented<br />

stocking programs to supplement existing<br />

stocks or recover historic populations.<br />

North Dakota reported the most significant negativc<br />

change in status since 1983 by changing from<br />

stable/increasing to declining (Table 1). Additionally,<br />

Montana <strong>and</strong> Nebraska changed their status<br />

from stable to stable/declining. Most of the other<br />

declining shifts in status since 1983 are the result of<br />

states reporting that their stock inventories are unknown<br />

at this time.<br />

Several significant changes in the management<br />

<strong>and</strong> regulation of paddlefish during the last 10 years<br />

were prompted by recognition of continued degradation<br />

of paddlefish habitat, threats of industrial.<br />

Commercial, or agricultural contaminants in paddlefish,<br />

<strong>and</strong> an increase in the dem<strong>and</strong> for paddlefish<br />

caviar. Since 1983, 86% of the states where paddlcfish<br />

still occur have changed their regulations of<br />

sport <strong>and</strong>/or commercial paddlefish fisheries (Tables<br />

l <strong>and</strong> 2). Alabama, Virginia, <strong>and</strong> West Virginia<br />

no longer allow a sport harvest, <strong>and</strong> Alabama, Io-<br />

Table 1. Classification <strong>and</strong> population status of paddlefish in all states containing paddlefish for 1994. as compared to 1983. 1<br />

State<br />

Classifications<br />

Status<br />

1983 2 1994 1983 2 1994<br />

Alabama Commercial Special Concern Decline Stable/DecIine<br />

Arkansas Commercial Sport/Commercial Increase Stable<br />

Illinois Commercial Sport/Commercial De cline Decline<br />

Indiana Sport Sport Stable Stable<br />

Iowa Commercial Sport Stable Stable<br />

Kansas Sport Sport Decline Stable/Increase<br />

Kentucky Commercial Commercial Stable Stable<br />

Louisiana Commercial Special concern Stable Stable<br />

Maryl<strong>and</strong> Threatened Extirpated Extirpated Extirpated<br />

Minnesota Protected Threatened Stable Stable<br />

Mississippi Commercial<br />

Commercial Stable/Increase Stable<br />

Missouri Game Game Stable Stable<br />

Montana Sport Sport/Special concern Stable Stable/Decline<br />

Nebraska Sport Sport Stable Stable/Decline<br />

New York Extirpated Extirpated Extirpated Extirpated 3<br />

North Carolina Not Classified Endangered Extirpated Extirpated 4<br />

North Dakota Commercial Sport/Special concern Stable/Increase Decline<br />

Ohio Endangered Threatened Decline Unknown<br />

Oklahoma Commercial Non-game Unknown Stable<br />

Pennsylvania Extirpated Extirpated Extirpated Extirpated<br />

South Dakota Sport Sport Decline Stable<br />

Tennessee Commercial Sport/Commercial St ab le Unknown<br />

Texas Endangered Endangered Decline Increase<br />

Virginia Non-Game Threatened Stable Unknown<br />

West Virginia Sport Special concern Decline Increase<br />

Wisconsin Watch list Watch list Stable Increase<br />

1<br />

Paddlefish are considered to be extirpated from Maryl<strong>and</strong>, New York, North Carolina <strong>and</strong> Pennsylvania.<br />

2<br />

From Gengerke (1986).<br />

3<br />

Sole report of a paddlefish in New York was one fish in 1800s.<br />

4<br />

There are two unconfirmed reports of paddlefish being taken during the last 19 years.

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