Police officers on Sanibel Island waded into the water on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and pulled out 500 feet of illegal netting, finding a trapped manatee along with fish, sharks, and stingrays.
Officers Sutton and Royka had responded to calls about the netting near West Gulf Drive. When they arrived, they discovered a mess, with marine animals tangled up and struggling.
Both officers got to work, freeing a stingray and several fish. The manatee wriggled loose on its own, but some fish and a shark didn’t make it. The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation jumped in to help with the rescue.
Longtime residents of Sanibel expressed deep concern and have stated they have never seen a net this large out on the beaches.
Since 1995, Florida has banned gillnets because of the harm they cause. This net killed a shark and about a dozen fish before officers could reach it. It’s a stark reminder of how dangerous these nets can be.
Eric Jackson from the City of Sanibel put it plainly: “Gillnets are dangerous and illegal. No one should be using them—they’re just too damaging to wildlife.”
Under Florida law, casting a gillnet is a third-degree felony. Now, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is tracking down who left the net in the water.
Florida Fish and Wildlife urges anyone who spots a net in the water to call the police or report it directly to the FWC. Every call helps prevent another tragedy.
