Sawfish were once classified as global fish, residing in 92 countries around the world. As of 2021, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified all sawfish as critically endangered.
A species will be declared critically endangered when they face an extremely high risk of extinction in all wild habitats.
Oftentimes sawfish will fall victim to bycatch; their rostrums (saw-like snouts) will get caught in fishing nets, which they are unable to detangle to swim free. This is a bigger issue than you may think! Around 50% of plastic pollution in the ocean is discarded fishing nets.
Sawfish also fall prey to habitat destruction and population decline due to environmental modifications such as dams and dredges. This is dangerous for young sawfish because they thrive in coastal and riverine environments. Many times, mothers will migrate to fresher waters with fewer predators and more food to give birth.
Despite the reverence surrounding sawfish in many cultures, their rostrum makes them especially vulnerable to target fishing.
Their rostrums are often collected for trophies and their fins are the preferred option for shark fin soup in many countries. Trophy hunters have been known to amputate the sawfish’s rostrum as a trophy or to sell it as a rarity.
Ecologically, sawfish are very important. Their role as apex predators in an ecosystem means they aid in eliminating sick and injured prey; without this, a disruption can occur, causing a trophic cascade.
Thankfully, sawfish are receiving significant attention and becoming more protected.
Trade and display are highly regulated within public aquaria. Also, sawfish are now the only shark/ray species listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), making international trade of their fins and rostra much more difficult and diminishing the supply.
We all have a personal responsibility to take action when we can, and this is where citizen science comes in.
Places like the Florida Museum of Natural History have established an interactive sawfish tracking database to assist in sawfish conservation methods.
If you see a sawfish anywhere in the world, you can help track data by leaving information such as your name, the date, time, and location of the encounter, and details about the sawfish!
Our education team talked about sawfish conservation and more with Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants for International Sawfish Day! Check out our virtual meeting !
Want to see our amazing sawfish up close and personal? Visit Ripley's Aquarium and take a dive into the deep blue! Say you saw them!
