When the rod was tapped, Paul had no idea what he was going to experience.
On October 18th, 2009, Paul Murnaghan and his friends went fishing with BC Sportfishing Group and encountered a dinosaur. At over 7 feet in length, this Fraser River white sturgeon was more than they imagined. This sturgeon is an example of a critical part of our effort to understand, protect and restore this species to the Fraser River.
A sturgeon this size is important to us as it represents a sample of the mature population that is responsible for reproduction. Ensuring that these mature fish have optimal conditions for spawning, rearing and food supply is critical for their survival. The data collected through Paul's encounter provides insight into the fish's travels, life experiences and prefered habitat.
This is particularly significant with this sturgeon because it was its third recapture encounter since its initial release in 2005. The data on this fish is as follows:
Initial release encounter: October 10th, 2005 length 202cm girth 94cm
Recapture encounter #1: August 7th, 2008 length 203cm girth 79cm
Recapture encounter #2: August 8, 2009 length 207cm girth 80cm
Recapture encounter #3: October 18, 2009 length 218cm girth 92cm
