Smalltooth Sawfish Designated as Endangered
by Amanda Katz
The United States National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has declared the smalltooth sawfish to be an endangered species.
The NMFS had never before designated a saltwater fish species as endangered.
The declaration makes killing a smalltooth punishable by a fine of as much as $25,000.
The Florida government prohibited killing sawfish and ownership of gillnets, which prey upon them, in 1993.
"We haven’t seen a real big rebound at this point," Mote Marine Laboratory Staff Scientist Colin Simpfendorfer told a Miami Herald reporter.
"Hopefully, with a few more conservation measures, we will see a turnaround."
Changes to fishing regulations may be made in order to prevent sawfish from getting caught in fishing nets.
"With any fishery that has a history of entanglements, we’ll have to look at things like closed areas and perhaps changes in seasons," said NMFS Assistant Regional Administrator Georgia Cranmore.
© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.
The United States National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has declared the smalltooth sawfish to be an endangered species.
The NMFS had never before designated a saltwater fish species as endangered.
The declaration makes killing a smalltooth punishable by a fine of as much as $25,000.
The Florida government prohibited killing sawfish and ownership of gillnets, which prey upon them, in 1993.
"We haven’t seen a real big rebound at this point," Mote Marine Laboratory Staff Scientist Colin Simpfendorfer told a Miami Herald reporter.
"Hopefully, with a few more conservation measures, we will see a turnaround."
Changes to fishing regulations may be made in order to prevent sawfish from getting caught in fishing nets.
"With any fishery that has a history of entanglements, we’ll have to look at things like closed areas and perhaps changes in seasons," said NMFS Assistant Regional Administrator Georgia Cranmore.
© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.
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