A dead dolphin entangled in a commercial stone crab trap was found in advanced state of decomposition near Marco Island.
"The staff's assessment thus far is that the crab trap entanglement contributed to the death of the dolphin," Carol Lyn Parrish, public information director with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said Thursday.
Parrish said staff made the finding after being unable to determine a definitive cause of death.
"Staff said because the body of the dolphin was so decomposed the necropsy is not going to be able to determine any type of cause of death," Parrish said.
Parrish said she is not aware of any ongoing investigation into the incident.
"The crab traps were allowed to be out there," Parrish said.
In Florida, stone crabs are legal to harvest from October 15 through May 1, according to FWC's website.
The dead dolphin was found Monday in the Gulf approximately a half mile from Marco Island, Parrish wrote Tuesday in an email.
The dolphin's body was collected by FWC at the Caxambas Park boat ramp with assistance of Rookery Bay National Estuarine and Research Reserve staff.
It was subsequently transported to the FWC-Southwest field lab and stored in a walk-in cooler overnight, Parrish wrote. A necropsy was conducted the next day.
FWC asks not to push, pull or roll stranded dolphins because it can cause serious injury, drowning or delay examination and treatment, Parrish wrote.
To prevent strandings, FWC asks to keep a safe distance, obey boat speed limits and keep fishing debris and trash out of the water.
If you see a stranded animal, call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline to 1-888-404-3922.
Contact Omar at omar.rodriguezortiz@naplesnews.com, and follow him on Twitter as @Omar_fromPR. Support his work by subscribing to Naples Daily News.
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Stone crab trap contributed to death of dolphin found near Marco Island, FWC says - Marco News
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