Fish Populations Returning to Great Lakes BUFFALO (wned) - Under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Amherst have been assessing native species of fish on the Lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario.

Fish Biologist Dimitry Gorsky says the findings are significant.

"With this year's work we were able to document viable lake trout reproduction in the lower river, which has not been documented before," Gorski said.

"It's also a very rare behavior in lake trout so that was amazing."

Another local species is making a come back, says Fish Biologist Betsy Trometer.

The team also caught and tagged more than 200 of the endangered Lake Sturgeon.

"Due to pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, they declined to very low numbers throughout the Great Lakes. They disappeared from a lot of areas, including the Buffalo area," Trometer said.

"Where the Buffalo Harbor currently is was historically a big sturgeon spawning reef."

Sturgeon can grow up to six feet and live up to 150 years; Lake Trout live about 15-to-20-years and can weigh more than 30 pounds.

"You see the lake trout populations improving. You're seeing natural reproduction. That's an indication of the open lake and improvements in the open lake," Trometer said.

"Whereas the Lake Sturgeon, their presence and improving populations indicate improving conditions in the near shore areas."

Even though it appears the native fish population is growing Gosky says questions remain about whether it will become sustainable.

The federal program is funded through 2014.


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