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January 2010: Cold Weather Leads to Widespread Fish Kills in Florida

The recent cold snap has affected Florida’s freshwater and marine fisheries as water temperatures dropped below normal for an extended period of time. During the first few weeks of January, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish Kill Hotline has received hundreds of reports of cold-related fish kills across the state.

When water temperatures drop, if fish do not die from cold stress, they may become more susceptible to disease. Therefore, in addition to observing dead fish, the public may begin to see fish with sores or fungal infections. Warm-water species, including the popular game fish snook, are particularly vulnerable to cold temperatures. 

The FWC monitors fish disease and mortality events around the state. Fish kills are not uncommon in Florida and may be caused by a variety of factors including red tide, low dissolved oxygen conditions, and extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.

Data gathered by the FWC will also be used to assess the impacts of this cold weather event on the state’s fisheries populations. Researchers report that many species have been impacted including saltwater fish such as snook and tarpon. In fresh water, some native fish have been impacted. However, most die-offs occurred among non-native species such as tilapia.

The FWC asks the public to continue to report dead, dying, or diseased fish to the Fish Kill Hotline by calling 800-636-0511 or submitting a report online at http://research.MyFWC.com/fishkill/submit.asp. 

Although the FWC seeks reports of fish kills for research purposes, the agency is not responsible for the cleanup of dead fish. Cold-related fish kills are naturally occurring events and are generally left to nature to clean up. Following fish kill events, natural scavengers, such as birds and other animals, usually provide cleanup within a week or so, depending on the scale and duration of the kill. In some cases, local authorities or private groups may conduct cleanup activities, but usually only if resources allow.

In response to the recent widespread saltwater fish kills, the FWC issued two executive orders on January 15, 2010, one to protect Florida’s snook, bonefish and tarpon fisheries (Executive Order 10-03—PDF file: 40 KB), and the other to allow for people to legally dispose of dead fish associated with the kills (Executive Order 10-02—PDF file: 50 KB). Many people are consulting with local sanitation authorities regarding the proper method of disposal of the dead fish they are collecting.

As a reminder, according to the Florida Department of Health, harvesting distressed or dead animals for consumption is not advised under any circumstances.