Unsolved: sawfish deaths rise during Florida Keys mystery

Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
smalltooth sawfish
CREDIT: FWC

More endangered smalltooth sawfish deaths were reported in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s weekly report.

According to FWC’s Florida Keys abnormal fish behavior event, 45 sawfish mortalities have been reported to the commission as of Wednesday. That’s two more deaths reported in a week.

The report also says that 465 fish kill hotline reports occurred, 336 fish samples were collected and 232 water samples were collected. All of those numbers are higher than the previous report.

A closer detail is that the category that grew the most over the last week was the fish samples collected. That number jumped from 251 all the way to 336.



The FWC website states, “FWC has sent >300 fish tissue samples to the University of South Alabama for toxin analyses.”

While it remains unclear precisely what is causing this puzzling event in the Florida Keys, authorities have eliminated some possibilities.

FWC also updated that the rescued smalltooth sawfish is responding to care at Mote Marine Laboratory.

sawfish
Examining an endangered sawfish. CREDIT: FWC

Among some of the potential threats FWC say they’ve investigated on their website include red tide, among others.

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