FOR Sues Over State Delay in Protecting White Sturgeon
White Sturgeon. Photo by CDFW
On August 10, Friends of the River sued the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) over its failure to take mandatory actions required under the state Endangered Species Act to evaluate the need for listing the species and adopting protections to prevent its extinction.
Despite the steep decline of the white sturgeon population in the Bay-Delta estuary, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife is dragging its heels in moving forward to protect this imperiled native species. So, Friends of the River and three other groups sued in August to force the state to take steps toward listing as required under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The plaintiffs are represented by the Lozeau Drury law firm.
CDFW’s own data shows that the white sturgeon population has declined by more than 80% over the past three decades. That’s why in 2023 the environmental coalition petitioned the Fish and Game Commission to list the species. Under CESA, a formal review by CDFW of the status of white sturgeon was due in January 2026, prior to a final determination by the Commission. Instead, DFW is proposing to push back the status review until mid-2027 or even later.
White sturgeon survival is threatened by inadequate freshwater flows, overharvesting, and degraded water quality, among other factors. Toxic algal blooms in 2023 and 2025 led to massive kills of sturgeon and other species. The need for state action to protect the species is even more urgent given the Trump Administration’s not unexpected decision to refuse to list the species, even though the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that listing white sturgeon was warranted by the scientific evidence.
"An individual sturgeon can live as long as a human being. But the species as a whole could disappear in a human lifespan if we don't take steps to protect its habitat and give it a fighting chance to survive alongside humans," says Gary Bobker, Program Director at Friends of the River. "It's clear that White Sturgeon are in trouble from unsustainable water diversions, toxic algal blooms, and other threats—and that the state of California needs to stop dragging its heels and list the species."
