JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man is sharing his concerns after discovering several dead fish at a pond near his home.
Artis Warthen and his neighbors say they are seeing and smelling fish remains near the cemetery located in Restlawn South Memorial Park, just down the road from Raines High School.
Warthen has lived on Palmdale Street for over 30 years, just on the other side of the pond. The cemetery was a favorite place for him to go fishing and walking, but he recently noticed something very unusual.
“The smell stank up from my house,” Warthen said.
Warthen shared photos with News4JAX, showing several dead fish floating in multiple bodies of water at the cemetery and on land.
He expressed that he and his neighbors have never seen anything like this before in his favorite fishing spot, and after hearing concerns amongst neighbors, he decided to take the initiative and make a few calls.
“We were talking with the environmental people, and they were saying ‘It could be this, or it could be that,’” Warthen said. “We’re not worried about what it could be. We want to know why and what is going on.”
News4JAX reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and received this response, in part:
“Over the past few weeks, we have received reports of fish kills throughout the state due to the recent cold temperatures. Because many fish now in Florida have adapted from tropical and sub-tropical habitats, a sudden decrease in water temperature or extended cold periods can cause these fish to become lethargic. We call this behavior ‘cold shock.’”
FWC added that the fish appear to be tilapia, which is considered an “invasive, non-native species.” FWC says the recent cold weather in January acted as a “check on their expanding range.”
Warthen, however, says this is a different case from his past experiences.
“We had snow here, and it was colder then than it is now,” Warthen said. “No fish died.”
Ultimately, Warthen emphasized that he is looking out for his community.
“People’s health, livelihoods [are] involved,” Warthen said. “We want some closure.”
