Teen Reels in 20-Foot ‘Prehistoric’ Fish in Fraser River, British Columbia

A Canadian teenager has caught and released a 20-foot white sturgeon he landed while fishing with friends in the Fraser River, British Columbia.

Jacob Bergen, 17, with the white sturgeon fish in Canada's Fraser River. (@outfishing_b.c/Zenger News)

17-year-old Jacob Bergen who nabbed the huge fish said white sturgeon are considered “prehistoric” fish, because they have been in existence since the Early Cretaceous period more than 100 million years ago.

He said: “Unlike most fish, sturgeons have no bones. Their strong, unique shape is made up of cartilage and tough meat, on top of that is a thick skin which is hard to penetrate.”

The teen also noted that sturgeons have scutes (bony plates) on their body. “These scutes, along with a super-thick skin, serve as the sturgeon's armor.”

Bergen attributes his knowledge about the fish he catches to a life-long interest in that activity, according to reports.

“I was introduced to fishing at a very young age by my dad. I grew up fishing, and then turned my hobby into a lifestyle. My favorite place to fish is on the Fraser River, it's my home.”

According to the video shared by Zenger News, Bergen had actually caught two sturgeons, one big and one small on the day in question. He gave both fish quick kisses before releasing them.

“We don't raise the fish; we catch, tag (collect data) and release them,” he said.

“There is a group of people who collect data to watch the white sturgeon population grow. They learn more about the fish, what areas they are in certain times of the year, how much they grow a year, and if they are healthy or injured.”

Prehistoric fish caught in Fraser River, British Columbia.

The Fraser River which is located in British Columbia, Canada, is an excellent place for fishery research.

According to Great River Fishing website, “The river and its many tributaries have one of the largest and most stable population of sturgeon and this can be attributed to the year-round abundance of food and conservation efforts by offering a catch and release fishery”.

“During peak periods of the main season, the sturgeon gorge themselves on the abundance of food present in the system, and it is not uncommon [for fishermen] to hook into 10 to 20 sturgeon a day.”

The Fraser River is also home to all five major types of salmon: chinook (king), chum (keta), coho (silver), sockeye (blueback) and pink (humpback).

“This part of British Columbia offers many healthy rivers and lakes, and these estuaries allow for one of the world's largest salmon runs to flourish,” noted Great River website.

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