Status and management of white sturgeon in the Columbia River in British Columbia, Canada: an overview

White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Columbia River in Canada ha ve recently been listed as Endangered/Critically Imperiled, based on a shif t in size and age-class composition from a population dominated by juvenile s in the early 1980s to one presently dominated by adults. This shift has b een attributed to a poor survival of early life stages. To determine the ca uses for this poor survival; investigations conducted annually since 1990 h ave focussed on identifying white sturgeon movement patterns, population dy namics, reproductive biology, and critical habitats. The reasons for the lo w recruitment remain poorly understood but river regulation and reservoir f ormation due to dam construction and pollution from municipal and industria l effluent inputs are suspected as contributing factors. The history of dam development on the Columbia River and implications to wh ite sturgeon are discussed from a historical perspective. A synopsis of pos t-1990 study results is provided and discussed in the framework of manageme nt strategies that include: 1) angling regulations, 2) flow enhancement str ategies during spawning, 3) development of a population stabilization plan, 4) investigations into the feasibility of artificial stock supplementation , and 5) proposed future study programs to identify factors limiting recrui tment.