Fisherman Catches, Releases Massive Endangered Sawfish in Southeastern Florida

A fisherman in Fort Pierce, Florida, caught a smalltooth sawfish, a rare species classified as endangered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The sawfish weighed in at over 800 pounds and measured 14 feet long, according to fisherman Ronnie Nail, who said it was released after being brought onto the boat and photographed.

This video taken by Nail, who said he filmed it on August 17, shows the huge fish. In the video, someone expresses concern that rope is tied around the fish’s “mouth,” but its mouth is on the underside of its head, opposite its eyes.

When the video was posted on Instagram, the uploader wrote, “Rope on saw was old and appeared to be from a crab trap. We decided it was too dangerous for both us and the fish to remove with the tools we had … it looked like it was coming off with time. The sawfish was quickly released strong and healthy.” Credit: Ronnie Nail via Storyful