New Documentary Film Tells the Story of the Ongoing Effort to Restore the Lake Sturgeon Population in the Saginaw Bay System

A new documentary film produced by The Conservation Fund and the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) details the ongoing effort to restore the sturgeon population in the Saginaw Bay system. A long-term effort and a broad partnership are working to reintroduce this ancient fish to the region, whose numbers stand at less than 1% of its historic population across the Great Lakes. The project has seen great success rearing and releasing fingerlings into four rivers in the watershed. This 23-minute documentary film details the effort to bring this dinosaur back from the brink of extinction. Sturgeon can live to be more than 100 years old, weigh up to 200 pounds, and can grow to be more than 7 feet long. The documentary has been supported by gifts from the Bay Area Community Foundation in Bay City, MI and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation of Flint, MI.

The documentary can be seen at:

www.saginawbaysturgeon.org

“The restoration effort is truly one of the great success stories in the Great Lakes over the past few decades. The return of this fish to its native waters is the result of an amazing partnership of organizations, agencies, universities, corporate partners and philanthropy. We’re thrilled to have completed this documentary that tells that story” said Michael Kelly, Director of The Conservation Fund’s Great Lakes Office in Bay City, MI. The documentary was developed by Fauna Creative of Grand Rapids, MI.

“You cannot expect people to care unless they have a chance to connect and experience something firsthand. That is what our community sturgeon releases do. I lie awake at night wondering what those fish are doing out there, and that sense of wonder and respect is at the heart of the natural world.” Said Jeff Jolley, Phd., Supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Southern Lake Huron Management Unit.

Lake Sturgeon are listed as a threatened species in Michigan, and across much of its Great Lakes range.