By Jacque Day
Mississippi River – A new federal measure affects area commercial fisherman who harvest sturgeon. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has declared the shovelnose sturgeon a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The agency prohibits capture of these sturgeon breeds in areas where the shovelnose and pallid's ranges commonly overlap. That includes the Mississippi River along Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois. The measure comes as a result of the shovelnose's similar appearance to the endangered pallid sturgeon. Commercial fisherman are also prohibited from harvesting flesh or roe of shovelnose sturgeon and shovelnose/pallid sturgeon hybrids. The rule forgives accidental capture, and is not expected to impact recreational fishing.