Endangered FL Sawfish With Missing Appendage Dies, $20K Reward Offered

KEY WEST, FL — An endangered smalltooth sawfish with a missing rostrum was recently found dead near Key West, and a $20,000 reward is being offered in connection with the appendage's removal, authorities said.

The sawfish was found on Jan. 31 along a shallow flat oceanside of Geiger Key, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries' Office of Law Enforcement said in a Thursday news release.

Witnesses reported seeing the sawfish struggling to swim and landing itself on a sandbar, authorities said.

The sawfish appeared to be unhealthy, authorities said. When responding, officers noticed the sawfish was missing its rostrum, or saw.

Authorities said the rostrum was removed between the evening of Jan. 30 and the morning of Jan. 31, authorities said.

"NOAA is asking for any information about the person(s) who caused injury to the sawfish and/or removal of the rostrum," authorities said in the release.

Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty, they said.

Tipsters can call the NOAA Enforcement hotline, (800) 853-1964. Tips can be anonymous; however, a name and contact information is mandatory for the reward.

Smalltooth sawfish listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

"Once abundant in the Southeast, they are now only found off the coast of Florida, especially southwest Florida where sawfish give birth. They were the first marine fish to receive federal protection as an endangered species in 2003," NOAA said.

"Under the act, it is illegal to catch, harm, harass or kill an endangered sawfish. It is also unlawful to possess, sell, carry or transport sawfish or parts of sawfish—such as the rostrum. While some fishermen catch sawfish as bycatch, they can follow safe handling and release guidelines to quickly and safely release incidentally captured sawfish."