![]() More: Kelley's Katch: How a Tennessee company became a top caviar producer By 1961, there were no reports of sturgeon harvests and few incidental captures or sightings, presumably because they were fished out. In the Tennessee River system, commercial sturgeon harvests began in 1956. Overfishing for meat and caviar crashed the population. Twenty-seven sturgeon species swim the earth’s waters today. Fossil sturgeon have been dated to 200 million years ago, around the end of the Triassic Period. As a group they both predated and outlived many dinosaur species, including Tyrannosaurus rex. Sturgeon are among the most ancient living fish on the planet. ![]() “The big question is will they reproduce now?” A fish older than fur ![]() “We know they’re surviving,” said Matthews, carefully wrapping a line of hooks. If sturgeon begin breeding in the Tennessee River, it will be one of the most successful conservation projects in North America. The majority begin breeding between 24 to 26 years of age, though some begin earlier. In contrast, female lake sturgeon reach sexual maturity later. Male lake sturgeon begin breeding early in life, between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. Now, as the project hits the 20-year mark, scientists are eagerly watching for the first signs of sturgeon spawning. Tracking their growth means catching, tagging and genetically testing hundreds of fish over hundreds of miles for 50 years or more. The process of restoring sturgeon is a bit like restoring old-growth forest.
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