Stocking sturgeon: Officials reintroduce native fish to Lake Erie

CLEVELAND — Hundreds of people gathered at Rivergate Park to contribute to an ongoing effort to re-introduce sturgeon to Lake Erie and its surrounding rivers. 

“I’m here to see the sturgeons be released and be part of it,” said Tony Modic, one of those waiting in line to receive a fish.

Modic wanted to be part of the first annual Sturgeon Fest, an event organized as part of the Ohio Department of Wildlife’s initiative to reintroduce the sturgeon into Lake Erie and its surrounding rivers.

“Here at Rivergate Park, we are releasing 750 sturgeon,” said Eric Weimer, a Fisheries Biologist Supervisor for ODW. 

He said the event is a culmination of years of research into whether the water could be inhabited by sturgeon again.   

“We don’t want to keep stocking sturgeon in perpetuity,” Weimer said. 

The department’s plan is to continue stocking the Cuyahoga with sturgeon for the next 25 years. They believe that after the time period, the sturgeon population will sustain itself. 

“First and foremost, they are a native species, so they belong in our Great Lakes,” Weimer said, explaining that healthy fish populations and habitats are positive for the ecosystem. 

“I’ve always taught my son about reintroduction of species to native habitats and we actually get to have a hand in it now, and we’re so excited about that,” said Lisa Barham who attended the event with her five-year-old son.

Eager participants received a bucket with a single baby sturgeon in it. They walked down to the docks at Merwin’s Wharf and sent the fish off using special slides. 

A total of 2,000 sturgeon were re-introduced to the Cuyahoga. ODW also released fish at two other locations off the Cuyahoga that Saturday. 

The stocking of the Cuyahoga follows a similar project that started in the Maumee River, where ODW has been stocking sturgeon since 2018. 

The new project at the Cuyahoga is part of their larger effort to bring the fish back to Lake Erie. 

Weimar explained that the fish spend most of their time in the lake, but will typically travel upstream to mate. 

Sturgeon can live up to one-hundred years and grow to be six feet long. 

“It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s a sign that things are going in the right direction. People are starting to think long term and not short term,” Lisa Barham said. 

Sturgeon are native to Lake Erie and the surrounding rivers, but by the late 1800s the population was greatly diminished due to overharvesting, pollution, and habitat alteration.

“I would love to see the sturgeon population come back; you know, it would be fantastic to not have it on the endangered species list,” said Modic. 

If sturgeon are caught in the Great Lakes, they must immediately be released. Down the line, he’d love to see it come back and know that he played a part in it. 

“I’m glad they’re doing it, and I hope to go every year,” he said.