News File Photo A sturgeon fingerling is released in the Upper Black River near Onaway in this August 2021 News archive photo.

ALPENA ― Fish lovers with time to spare could help protect the sturgeon of the future by lending a hand to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR and the Black Lake chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow seek volunteers to stand guard now through early June along the Black River in Cheboygan County as mature lake sturgeon head upstream to spawning sites.

Illegal harvesting of the large fish during their six-week spawning season, when the fish are most vulnerable, endangers the threatened species, which can weigh up to 200 pounds and live to be 100 years old, the DNR said.

Individuals or groups willing to spend shifts reporting any suspicious activity along the river and recording the number of sturgeon they see should contact Jim and Mary Paulson at 989-763-7568 or guarding@sturgeonfortomorrow.org or register online at sturgeonfortomorrow.org/guarding-program.php.