Local Scientist Seeks Your Help with Endangered Sawfish Research

by Tonya Wiley, Havenworth Coastal Conservation

Tonya Wiley, President of Havenworth Coastal Conservation in Palmetto, has been studying the endangered Smalltooth Sawfish for over twenty years.  For decades, her research was focused in the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park because reports of sawfish north of Charlotte Harbor were rare.  But now Tonya is leading a research project to locate and tag sawfish in the Tampa Bay area, gather information on sawfish catches and sightings, collect small samples from sawfish rostra (saws) in public and private collections for genetic analysis, and educate the public about sawfish in this area.  Thanks to several people who reported sightings on the beach this spring in Pinellas County, Tonya was able to catch, tag, and release the first two sawfish in the Tampa Bay area.

Tonya Wiley (right) and Adam Brame (the NOAA Fisheries U.S. sawfish recovery coordinator) with the first sawfish tagged in Tampa Bay, a newborn located in Redington Shores in April 2021. All research activities were performed under the authority and guidelines of NMFS ESA permit #21857. Credit Tonya Wiley.

One of the best ways for Tonya, and other members of the Smalltooth Sawfish Recovery Implementation Team (www.SawfishRecovery.org), to track the effectiveness of ongoing management and conservation efforts is to collect information about interactions with endangered sawfish.  Details of public sightings and captures of sawfish can substantially increase what is known about the species, allowing scientists to make management and policy decisions that are reflective of the realities in the water and target their field research efforts.  Because of their countless hours on and in the water, Tonya is seeking to partner with the local angling and diving community to collect information about sawfish in the Tampa Bay area.

Tonya Wiley with an endangered smalltooth sawfish. Credit Dana Bethea

For anglers to safely and legally release any sawfish accidentally caught:

Release sawfish immediately
Leave the sawfish, especially the gills, in the water at all times
Never lift a sawfish from the water or drag it ashore
Do not use gaffs or ropes to secure any captured sawfish
Cut the line as close to the hook as safely possible
For divers to safely and legally enjoy encounters with sawfish:

·       Keep your distance

·       Avoid disturbing sawfish

·       Never chase, feed, or touch them

Smalltooth sawfish. Credit Tonya Wiley.

Please share the information about your sawfish encounters by visiting www.SawfishRecovery.org, calling 1-844-4SAWFISH, emailing sawfish@myfwc.com, or submitting the details through the FWC Reporter app.  Your encounter report could lead Tonya to tag the next endangered Smalltooth Sawfish in Tampa Bay!

For research updates follow Havenworth Coastal Conservation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Tax-deductible donations to help fund sawfish research in Tampa Bay can be made at https://havenworth.wedid.it/.