1-30-24 grothman introduces spear act to protect sturgeon spearing in wisconsin

Republican congressmen Glenn Grothman and Mike Gallagher have introduced legislation to protect sturgeon spearing in Wisconsin.  Grothman says the SPEAR Act would proactively exempt the state of Wisconsin from any listing of lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act.  Currently the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting a species status assessment of lake sturgeon and considering listing lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act.  Grothman says that would threaten the careful population management that’s already in place and ignore the cultural importance and economic impact of sturgeon spearing to Northeast Wisconsin.   “There’s a group called the Center for Biological Diversity which complained to the Department of Interior and said sturgeon ought to be endangered species,” Grothman told WFDL news.  “It’s absurd on it’s face.  We have an increasing population.”   In December, Grothman and Gallagher signed a bipartisan letter to the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to express concerns about the implications of a potential listing of lake sturgeon on the Endangered Species List would have on Wisconsin.