Florida’s Fish Took Major Hit From Recent Cold Snap
Many reports have surfaced of snook and other native Florida fish dying in a deep freeze that struck the normally temperate state this month.
Pete Frezza, an ecologist for Audubon of Florida, told the Miami Herald that he has found more than 400 snook and 400 tarpon dead along the waters of the Everglades National Park last week. From Ponce de Leon Bay down across Florida Bay to the Florida Keys – day after day, dead fish kept popping up.
"I was so shook up, I couldn’t sleep," said Frezza. "Millions and millions of pilchards, threadfin herring, mullet. Ladyfish took it really bad. Whitewater Bay is just a graveyard."
The extended cold snap had a devastating impact on the local ecosystem. The statewide freeze prompted fishery managers to shut down three important saltwater recreational facilities.
Luiz Barbieri, chief of marine fisheries research at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) in St. Petersburg, said "The magnitude of this is unbelievable. It’s really dismal and sad to see."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued an executive order on Friday afternoon to extend the closed season on snook statewide until September and impose closures for tarpon and bonefish until April. The order also suspends saltwater fishing in some areas to allow residents to collect and dispose of dead fish. The order took effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and will remain in effect until February 1, unless an extension is called for.
Anglers and fishermen have reported seeing thousands of dead fish in bays, rivers, lakes and even the ocean over the past week. As the temperatures are holding far below normal, the problem for fish could get worse. Many experts fear this is only the beginning of what could be an ongoing catastrophe.
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