House subcommittee considers bill to exempt captive-bred sturgeon from some ESA restrictions

Representative Fine introduced H.R. 4,033, the Sturgeon Conservation and Sustainability Act of 2025, which would amend the Endangered Species Act to exempt sturgeon legally held in captivity and their progeny from certain ESA prohibitions unless reintroduced to the wild. Representative Fine said the bill is intended to enable domestic aquaculture businesses to produce caviar and sturgeon products from captive-bred fish without affecting wild populations.

Gino Evans, owner of Evans Farms, testified that his family operation has run a closed-system broodstock program since 2003 and that current ESA designations and regulatory uncertainty threaten farms that produce caviar and sturgeon meat. "Aquaculture is not just compatible with conservation, it is one of the best tools we have to achieve it," Evans said, adding that an ESA listing of farmed stock could force closures of domestic farms.

Jay Shirley of the Fish and Wildlife Service told the subcommittee the Service "supports this bill" and the sponsor’s effort to resolve regulatory challenges for domestic aquaculture, but the agency recommended working with the sponsor to address potential enforceability issues and to ensure the legislation can be implemented as intended. Shirley noted foreign-range conservation challenges and said the Service recognizes the regulatory difficulties aquaculture producers face.

Evans and other farm representatives explained that some requirements tied to ESA exemptions—such as outreach to range countries under a 4(d)-like rule—are impractical for small domestic operations. They urged narrower, implementable exemptions that would allow farms to continue educational and conservation work while avoiding closures.

The committee accepted written materials into the record and invited additional technical comments from the Service and stakeholders. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.