Wednesday August 12, 2026
SFGATE —
Four environmental and fishing organizations sued the California Department of Fish and Wildlife earlier this week, alleging the agency failed to meet a deadline for a report that would help determine whether the white sturgeon fish in San Francisco Bay should be added to a state list of threatened or endangered species.
San Francisco Baykeeper, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Restore the Delta, and Friends of the River filed the petition in Alameda County Superior Court on Monday. These nonprofits are united around the preservation of California’s rivers and streams, with emphasis on keeping the waters of the San Francisco Bay-Delta fishable, swimmable and drinkable.
The groups are not asking a judge to order that the fish be listed as endangered. They want the court to order the department to complete and release the report.
With that report in hand, the California Fish and Game Commission must hold a public hearing and make a final decision, based on the best available scientific information, to determine whether the state will grant the species protected status. The scientific report from the Department of Fish and Wildlife is needed by the commission to make the final decision on whether to list the species.