The US state of California is closing the white sturgeon fishery while it conducts a thorough conservation review to determine if the species should be listed as endangered or threatened.

This comes after the California Fish and Game Commission approved white sturgeon as a candidate for listing under the California Endangered Species Act on June 19.

The fishery's closure isn't the same as fully listing the fish as endangered, but it does mean the species gets immediate safeguards until a thorough review is completed.

From now until July 11, anglers can still fish for white sturgeon thanks to emergency rules set last year.

However, come July 12, the fishing season will close to protect the species while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reviews the fish's status. The review could take until late 2025, at which point officials will decide if the white sturgeon needs to be formally listed as an endangered or threatened species, the CDFW said in a press release last week (June 28).

The commission acknowledged that halting sturgeon fishing may hit recreational anglers and local economies hard. It has asked the CDFW to come up with options that could allow some sturgeon fishing to continue during the review. CDFW will present some options to the commission in mid-August.

According to the press release, one possibility is using California Fish and Game Code Section 2084, which allows for limited, regulated fishing of species under review as long as it doesn’t harm the population.