White Sturgeon, North America's largest freshwater fish.
British Columbia : Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu “Splendour without diminishment”. Home of the mighty White Sturgeon, phenomenal runs of trophy Salmon and the prized wild Steelhead.
The Sturgeon has been protected in the Fraser River Valley since the 90's and as a result of the catch and release program in place on the Lower Fraser river a thrieving sport fishing industry has emerged. While the average fish caught is in the region of 50-200 lbs, some exceptional fish up to 1,000lbs are regularly caught every season. The largest sturgeon can take several hours to land and measure upwards of 12-14 ft. in length.
Sturgeon can be caught all year round though the best fishing is between March & November. It is believed that at some point in their life cycle, larger sturgeon migrate to the ocean and will travel to other river systems and ocean estuaries. A few years ago, a tagged Columbia River sturgeon was recaptured in Alaska. It is thought that these migrating sturgeon will return to their native river for peak fishing periods and spawning.
There are two major feeding periods when sturgeon fishing is at its best; April- June and September- November. During the winter months most fish being caught are smaller, 2 to 4 feet is average. Once spring sets in, larger fish begin to migrate from the Upper Fraser, Harrison L , Pitt L and the ocean awaiting the arrival of the eulichan. In April the annual migration of the eulichans begin. This is the first opportunity for some serious feeding by both small and larger fish. The second major feeding period is when the sockeye salmon enter the Fraser along with the other salmon species; chinook, chum, coho and every odd year pink salmon. The sturgeon will strategically place themselves below popular fishing areas and will feed heavily on salmon parts discarded by anglers. They will also feed on salmon eggs and whole live and dead fish. This is the last major feeding period before winter sets in and food becomes scarce so feeding periods are long and fish are very aggressive towards good baits.
This is the reason for choosing early November to stage the inaugral I.G.F.A Sturgeon World Championship as this will give our competitors the best opportunity to catch the largest aggressive sturgeon. Do battle with the mighty White Sturgeon and have your chance to be crowned a "World Champion" and possibly an "I.G.F.A World Record holder." Register today to be part of fishings newest and most excitingbig stage event.
The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society (FRSCS) was founded in 1997 by a group of dedicated sturgeon enthusiasts from several sectors in BC. The founding and current chairman of the FRSCS, Rick Hansen, has provided leadership and motivation to a talented set of directors, made up of community representatives from provincial, federal, and First Nation governments, industry, science, education, the environment. The Society’s mandate is to conserve and protect Fraser River white sturgeon and their habitat. This is addressed through: the development and implementation of stewardship activities, public education and awareness initiatives; conducting research and communicating the results; and professionally addressing key issues facing sturgeon with appropriate actions.
In April 2002, a significant contribution from a private donor, the North Growth Foundation, made it possible for the FRSCS to hire a full-time Executive Director. This organizational change provided the means to lever project grant funds, and allowed the Society to develop and deliver several strategic and stewardship-based programs and projects, including an award-winning, volunteer-driven monitoring and assessment program, a First Nations sturgeon stewardship program, and a Fraser watershed-wide White Sturgeon Conservation Plan. Community contributions of the FRSCS and its programs have been acknowledged; the City of Vancouver awarded the FRSCS with the Mayor’s Environmental Achievement Award in June 2000, and the Society’s Chairman, Rick Hansen, received the Vancouver Public Aquarium’s 2003 Murray A. Newman Award for Significant Achievement in Aquatic Conservation.
The Society has made great progress in identifying and addressing issues affecting the recovery of white sturgeon in the Lower Fraser River. In order to produce reliable estimates of the population of Fraser River white sturgeon, novel life history and migration information for the species, and heightened awareness levels in the public regarding the state of this culturally and ecologically significant species, the Society designed a cost-effective monitoring and assessment program. This significant, volunteer-driven program has coordinated activities and in-kind contributions from true stewards of the resource: sport fishing guides, recreational, commercial, and aboriginal fishermen, test fishery and enforcement personnel, and various fishery monitors. The program has gathered sponsorship and support from provincial, federal, and aboriginal governments, plus non-government institutions, associations, and foundations.
Program volunteers tagged and released over 22,000 live white sturgeon during the first five years of the program within a study area that spans over 185 linear kilometers of river from the Fraser Canyon to the Fraser estuary. The program has resulted in one of the best baseline datasets on sturgeon in the world, creating an internationally recognized population model.
The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wild Fraser River white sturgeon. The Society has charitable status. Our registered charity business number is 86735 0282 RR0001, and our BC Society Number is S-0037432. Charitable tax receipts can be issued for donations to the Society as per regulations.
Several studies and papers have been compiled for and by the FRSCS over the years. Here is a sample of these papers for your download.
To view the studies and papers you need a copy of Adobe PDF Reader. Download a free copy HERE.
CLICK HERE to Download the FRSCS background information PDF
CLICK HERE to Download the Fraser River White Sturgeon Conservation Plan PDF
CLICK HERE to Download the status of White Sturgeon in the Lower Fraser River report 1999-2004 PDF
CLICK HERE to Download the Species at Risk Act (SARA) submission PDF
CLICK HERE to Download the Species at Risk Act (SARA) attachment PDF
CLICK HERE to Download the Sturgeon Enforcement PDF
CLICK HERE to Download the HSBC NEWS Press Release PDF