Number of dead sawfish soars to 40 as reports of spinning fish continue to roll in

MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is now reporting at least 40 endangered smalltooth sawfish have died since January of this year. That number is up by two from last week.

The tragic sight has even hit the western coast of Everglades National Park.

In a post on the park’s official Facebook page, it was revealed that rangers recently recovered a dead smalltooth sawfish that was about 12-13 feet long from the shores of Cape Sable.

Even more alarming, the post explained that this is the fourth confirmed report of a dead smalltooth sawfish in Everglades National Park this year.

Separately, there have been at least 441 calls to the fish kill hotline as part of what the agency is calling the “Florida Keys Abnormal Fish Behavior Event.”

Scientists still do not know what is causing the critically endangered sawfish to thrash and die, or what is causing more than 70 fish species to spin and act erratically.

Researchers have found elevated levels of a benthic dinoflagellate called gambierdiscus in the water, but have not labeled it as an official cause thus far.

“You have to realize there are multiple algal species that produce toxins and multiple toxins,” explained the Director of FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Gil McCrae during an appearance on Local 10′s This Week in South Florida program. “We have this matrix of multiple species and multiple toxins… all of that has to be worked through both in the field and in the laboratory before we can make a connection.”

While the marine mystery remains unsolved, there is some hope. Last week, a smalltooth sawfish that was rescued from Cudjoe Key was successfully moved to a rehabilitation center by NOAA in partnership with FWC, MOTE Marine Laboratory, and Ripley’s Aquarium.

The 11-foot male is the first sawfish that was rescued as part of this unprecedented collective effort. At last check, the sawfish is recovering at one of MOTE’s Sarasota facilities.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that, you know, we’re moving the needle in the right direction,” said NOAA’s Sawfish Recovery Expert Adam Brame. “I do think that there’s going to be more that we have to respond to, you know, there’s a lot of fish that are very sick, that, you know, we may not be able to save, and we understand that.”

While the officials and researchers work to understand what is happening to the sawfish and other marine life, it is important to remember that the public plays an important role.

“Our hotline number is the best way they [the public] can contribute to our efforts because we’re going to use those reports, to direct our rescue efforts, and so the more information they can provide in those reports, the better,” explained Brame.

To report a sawfish sighting you can email Sawfish@MyFWC.com or call 844-472-9347 (1-844-4SAWFISH). If you see any other type of fish in distress, you can file a report on the FWC website.