WASHINGTON (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Congressman Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) is hoping to keep regulation of sturgeon season in state hands, and he’s introduced a bill to do just that.

The SPEAR Act would prevent the US Fish and Wildlife Services from designating the species as endangered.

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Congressman Bergman said, “As a result of the species management in Michigan, a federal Endangered Species Act designation is now unnecessary for the sturgeon and would hinder efforts of conservation and coordination between local tribes, anglers, and the state. It’s time to transfer this authority from the federal government back to the state and local levels where it belongs.”

Environmental advocates want the federal government to review the designation of sturgeon, and that ruling could come in 2025.

State Representative Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) supported Congressman Bergman’s move. “Sturgeon fishing is part of the cultural fabric of Northeast Michigan,” Cavitt said. “The federal government continues its attempts to overstep and infringe on states’ rights, and I’m grateful General Bergman has taken action on this issue. I look forward to supporting these efforts on the state level.”

The state DNR stocks sturgeons each year to support a stable population. The full bill can be read here.