
PRESS RELEASE
U.S. Rep. Tony Wied (R-WI-08), along with Reps. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06) and Tom Tiffany (R-WI-07), introduced his first piece of legislation Friday, called the Sturgeon Protected and Exempt from Absurd Regulations (SPEAR) Act, which would proactively exempt the state of Wisconsin from any listing of lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act.
In 2018 an animal activist group sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for a “threatened” listing for lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). An ESA listing as threatened or endangered would have ended the long-standing practice of sturgeon spearing.
Last year, Wisconsin stakeholders came together in opposition and after conducting a thorough species status assessment using the best available science, the USFWS determined in April of 2024 that lake sturgeon do not require a listing under the Endangered Species Act. Although this was the outcome we were hoping for, there is nothing stopping environmental groups from continuing to pursue this matter.
“I am proud to introduce the SPEAR Act which will prohibit the USFWS from listing Wisconsin lake sturgeon as endangered or threatened and ensure that we permanently protect the cherished tradition of sturgeon spearing.”
“Thanks to close public-private partnerships between local volunteer groups, fishing clubs, and the Wisconsin DNR, Wisconsin is one of the few places in the U.S. where sturgeon populations are healthy enough for hook-and-line and spearing seasons. I want to ensure that we allow this long-standing local tradition to continue for generations to come,” said Wied.

“Sturgeon-spearing is crucial to maintaining Wisconsin’s lake sturgeon population which is why we must take proactive steps to ensure that we are exempt from any action to list the lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act,” said Rep. Tiffany. “Wisconsin is a global leader in sturgeon management, and the SPEAR Act will protect this unique and long-standing tradition for years to come,” said Tiffany.
“As a long-time advocate of Wisconsin’s Conservation Congress, it is offensive that the federal government in Washington believes they would know better than our local sportsmen on the handling of our sturgeon population. Sportsmen groups in Wisconsin have been at the forefront of lake sturgeon management. The SPEAR Act is a practical solution that will preserve both the tradition of sturgeon spearing and Wisconsin’s ongoing success in conservation for future generations,”said Grothman.
Read the full text of the bill here.
If you want to know more about Lake Sturgeon, please read this Wisconsin DNR article.