Native to the Caspian Sea, these ancient fish date back more than 200 million years, can grow to 24 feet (7 meters) in length, weigh more than 3,500 pounds (1,588 kilograms) and live to be 100 years old. While the beluga sturgeon is popular for its fillets, its eggs, known as "true caviar," are regarded as a delicacy. When did you encounter the fish? In what location? How many fish did you see and what size were they? Were they adult or juvenile? What activity did you observe (swimming, feeding)? You should provide this information, along with any photographs you might have taken, to local wildlife officials.
So, what if one of these endangered fish ends up on your hook? The best policy is to release it back into the water, but not before making a few observations.
While habitat loss and pollution are significant factors in the decline of these species, the greatest threat by far is overfishing. But are there, really? According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of endangered species, 1,616 species of fish are at risk for extinction another 989 are endangered and 627 are critically endangered. "There are plenty of other fish in the sea," goes the old cliché. A fisherman ties a bluefin tuna tail in the water during the end of the Almadraba tuna fishing season near the Barbate coast, in Cadiz province, Spain in 2014.
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