LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking for the public’s help after a six-foot-long lake sturgeon was found dumped along a road in Muskegon County.

The 71-inch sturgeon, a highly protected species in Michigan, was discovered on Durham Road in Whitehall sometime between midnight and 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 17.

Some lake sturgeon have been documented living for more than 100 years. Because the species can take up to 25 years to reach maturity and reproduce, Michigan has strict regulations to protect them. Any sturgeon accidentally caught while fishing for other species must be released immediately.

“Lake sturgeon are such an iconic species,” said DNR Conservation Officer Anna Cullen, who patrols Muskegon County. “We hope to give this fish justice to help protect this important species. Maybe there’s someone out there who can help us do that.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the DNR’s Report All Poaching Hotline.

Due to overfishing, habitat loss, and habitat degradation, lake sturgeon were listed as a threatened species in Michigan in 1994. Restoration efforts are ongoing.