Moments later they notice the fish is tagged by the California Department of Fish and Game. One man goes on to ask “Do you dare keep it?” It appears the sturgeon is out of water for several minutes and likely died. “It is not legal to handle green sturgeon in that way,” Fish and Game’s Stafford Lehr said on Monday. While considering pressing charges, wardens are also proposing changes to better protect the sturgeon, including making sure California regulations mirror laws already on the books in Oregon and Washington.