Nonprofit works to protect endangered sawfish habitat

LEE COUNTY, Fla. —

Jason Pim grew up in Cape Coral – and on the water.

Both, he said, have changed a lot since he was a kid.

“Anyone who's been here a very long time has seen the decline in habitat, and in wildlife, and the fishing activity,” Pim said. “So, it’s really important to protect what we do have left."

That’s why he got involved with the Calusa Waterkeeper.

Among the places the non-profit is working to protect is Glover Bight. It’s a cove along the Caloosahatchee River, near The Westin Cape Coral Resort.

“In the federal registry, this is known as critical habitat,” Joe Cavanaugh, the waterkeeper, said.

The reason why the area is critical is because of what’s there: the Smalltooth Sawfish.

Once found along the coast of North Carolina down to Texas, now in the U.S., it’s now only off the coast of Florida.

In 2003, the government listed the species as endangered, making it the first marine fish to get that protection.

“They're endangered to the tune of probably, there's a few hundred reproductive age females left,” Cavanaugh said.

Glover Bight and nearby Iona Cove are critical because they’re pupping areas, where females give birth. The shallow water and red mangroves are great habitats for sawfish pups.

Researchers have receivers in the area to monitor the sawfish they’ve tagged.

“These two pupping areas are really the last line of defense for the species,” Cavanaugh said. “If we were to lose these two areas, that would have an incredible impact on the recovery of sawfish."

And that’s a real concern, Cavanaugh said, because of the ongoing threat of development.

Nearby is Redfish Pointe, an area developers wanted to build on. Earlier this year, they withdrew a rezoning request after people raised concerns.

While Glover Bight is designated as critical habitat, that doesn’t mean it’s fully protected.

“It doesn't prevent it from being developed, but it does – it does raise the bar on things that would have to be done,” Cavanaugh said.

And the issue is about more than just sawfish. If they thrive, Cavanaugh explained, it means other marine life also thrives.

“If you protect the sawfish, you are also protecting all of this habitat that's necessary for dozens of species of fish,” he said. “Our waterways are just critically important for everything that we have."

For Pim, it’s a mission motivated by the next generation.

“My goal would be to be able to look my kids in the eyes and say, ‘I tried,’” he said. “I did my best to slow down the degradation, preserve these natural resources that we came here for."

Sawfish pupping season starts in April and peaks in May through July. It is illegal to catch or kill an endangered sawfish. If you accidentally catch one, it needs to be released right away.

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