It’s the end of an era for Florida’s Flea Market.
The annual event draws tens of thousands of people to the Keys, but this year’s run has been marred by toxic fish and sickening bugs.
The city of Gainesville and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have closed the event because of the toxic fish problem.
This year’s event is the biggest for the markets in Florida’s history, attracting up to 300,000 visitors, with tens of millions of dollars in sales.
But this year, the crowds are much smaller than usual.
“We’re at our lowest numbers ever,” said Paul Smith, a market vendor from Gainesville.
“It’s just unbelievable how bad it’s been.”
In addition to the bugs, a number of bugs have been found in the water.
One fish that caught the eye of Florida authorities was the Red Spot, a black-legged worm that has infected and killed a number a people.
“It’s the most feared fish in the world,” Smith said.
The fish was found dead at the gates of the Florida market.
Another fish that attracted the attention of authorities is the Black Widow.
The fish was spotted in the waters around Gainesville this week, and officials are worried it might have been a human who was infected.
Authorities said they’re looking into whether the Black Widows could have been the source of the illnesses.
Smith said he has received calls from people who have had trouble entering the Florida markets this year.
As for the bugs and sickened people, the market is now closed for a few days and then reopened for another day.
Officials have also reopened the Gainesville Market for another year.
They have reopened the market, and have started accepting vendors for next year’s market, which is scheduled for February.
For now, there are plans for more vendors to be accepted for next years event.
Read more about this story at ABC News.