Project Leader Tracy Hill recently traveled to Davenport, Iowa, to attend the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association Executive Board meeting.  The meeting primarily addressed the issue of shovelnose sturgeon harvest and caviar harvest in the affected states. 

This issue was brought to the attention of the Executive Board from the Paddlefish/Sturgeon committee.  Presentations were made at the meeting regarding shovelnose and pallid sturgeon population viability, issues and concerns about pallid sturgeon loss associated with commercial harvest of shovelnose sturgeon, similarity of appearance, listing process, and a summary of recent court cases involving pallid sturgeon and commercial fishers. 

Following these presentations the state delegates spent time discussing the issues and trying to determine a course of action.  After sleeping on it for the evening, the incoming Chairman for MICRA decided to hold a conference call to further evaluate the course of action that the board would take.  The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for MICRA’s Executive Board to also address issues related to recently released Asian Carp Management Plan.