In 1967 the Shortnose Sturgeon was listed as endangered. A combination of factors may account for the decline in its numbers. For instance, over decades, large tidal rivers like the Hudson served as a dumping ground for pollutants that led to major oxygen depletion in the water, resulting in a high loss of fish. Another threat to the species is the enormous popularity and consumption of its smoked flesh and eggs (caviar), with sturgeon stocks over-exploited for many decades at an unsustainable level.

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