EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

Natural threats
The primary natural threat to smalltooth sawfish survival is the species low reproductive rate. In
the face of reduced population sizes, this biological parameter means that recovery, at best, will
be slow, and that catastrophic perturbations can have severer consequences to recovery.
Anthropogenic threats
Smalltooth sawfish decline has been largely due to fisheries interaction (see NMFS 2006c for a
review). The distinctive “saw” can easily become entangled in a variety of commercial and
recreational fishing gear, resulting in drowning or injury. Even when individuals that have been
entangled are retrieved alive, individuals may be killed for curio collection of the saw, fear of
injury from fisherman, or injured from the gear or handling during gear removal. However,
additional anthropogenic impacts result from habitat loss. Destruction of mangrove habitat,
dredging, trawling and filling, and loss of reef habitat have negative impacts on all life stages of
smalltooth sawfish. Although a concern, pollution impacts on particularly reproductive biology
are unknown. However, habitat degradation due to runoff containing pesticides, eutrophying
agents, and other contaminants can also have a negative impact on smalltooth sawfish habitat.
Critical habitat
On September 2, 2009, critical habitat was designated for smalltooth sawfish along the central
and southwest coast of Florida (74 FR 45353). Although PCEs were not identified, the
mangrove and adjacent shallow euryhaline habitat are important nursery habitat for smalltooth
sawfish.
Sea Turtles
Loggerhead sea turtle, (All DPS)
Species Description and Distribution
The loggerhead sea turtle has a large head and powerful jaws, which enables it to feed on hardshelled
prey, such as whelks and conch. It is the most abundant sea turtle in U.S. coastal waters.
It occurs throughout tropical and temperate oceans. Loggerhead nesting is confined to lower
latitude temperate and subtropic zones but does not occur in tropical areas (NRC 1990b, NMFS
and USFWS 1991b, Witherington et al. 2006).
Listing Status
In 1978, the loggerhead sea turtle was listed as threatened under the ESA (43 FR 32800). In
2011, the listing was modified to include nine distinct population segments (76 FR 58868). The
Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS has a large population size (>60,000 adults). Though the nesting
trend (between 1989 and 2010) is slightly negative, it is not significantly different from zero (76
FR 58868). Therefore, the Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS was listed as threatened. Critical
habitat for this DPS has yet to be designated.
Threats
Incidental take in commercial fisheries has been the greatest source of mortality for loggerhead
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