Preserving a giant

BONNERS FERRY – Chris Lewandowski pressed gently on the white sturgeon’s belly, forcing a stream of glistening black eggs through the ovarian duct. Jose Ponce caught the eggs in a stainless steel bowl and poured them into a Pyrex measuring cup. As caviar, they’d be worth hundreds of dollars per pound. But this sturgeon roe is destined for a higher purpose. To the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho – the men’s employer – the eggs are priceless. They represent the next generation of white sturgeon for the Kootenai River.