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Press Room

Sawfish face global extinction unless overfishing is curbed

10/2/2021

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Sawfish have disappeared from half of the world's coastal waters and the distinctive shark-like rays face complete extinction due to overfishing, according to a new study by Simon Fraser University researchers, published in Science Advances.

PRESS RELEASE | Simon Fraser University, Canada | February 10, 2021
Picture
© Dana Bethea
Sawfish, named after their unique long, narrow noses lined by teeth, called rostra, that resemble a sawblade, were once found along the coastlines of 90 countries but they are now among the world’s most threatened family of marine fishes, presumed extinct from 46 of those nations. There are 18 countries where at least one species of sawfish is missing, and 28 more where two species have disappeared
According to SFU researchers Helen Yan and Nick Dulvy, three of the five species of sawfish are critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and the other two are endangered.

Their teeth on their rostra are easily caught in fishing nets. Sawfish fins are among the most valuable in the global shark fin trade and rostra are also sold for novelty, medicine and as spurs for cockfighting.

The current presence of all sawfishes world-wide is unknown, but Dulvy warns complete extinction is possible if nothing is done to curb overfishing and to protect threatened habitats, such as mangroves, where sawfish can thrive.

“Through the plight of sawfish, we are documenting the first cases of a wide-ranging marine fish being driven to local extinction by overfishing,” Dulvy says. “We’ve known for a while that the dramatic expansion of fishing is the primary threat to ocean biodiversity, but robust population assessment is difficult for low priority fishes whose catches have been poorly monitored over time. With this study, we tackle a fundamental challenge for tracking biodiversity change: discerning severe population declines from local extinction.”

The study recommends that international conservation efforts focus on eight countries (Cuba, Tanzania, Columbia, Madagascar, Panama, Brazil, Mexico and Sri Lanka) where conservation efforts and adequate fishing protections could save the species. It also found Australia and the United States, where adequate protections already exist and some sawfish are still present, should be considered as “lifeboat” nations.

“While the situation is dire, we hope to offset the bad news by highlighting our informed identification of these priority nations with hope for saving sawfish in their waters,” says Yan. “We also underscore our finding that it’s actually still possible to restore sawfish to more than 70 per cent of their historical range, if we act now.”

Media

Where can I find sawfish photos?
Photos can be used by journalists if credited appropriately.
Gallery | High Resolution images
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Press release:
English | French | Spanish

Reference

Yan, H.F., Kyne, P.M., Jabado, R.W., Leeney, R.H., Davidson, N.K., Derrick, D.H., Finucci, B., Freckleton, R.P., Fordham, S.V. and Dulvy, N.K. (2021) Overfishing and habitat loss drives range contraction of iconic marine fishes to near extinction. Science Advances. 7, eabb6026. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb6026

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  • Home
  • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Sponsors
    • Communication >
      • Visual Identity and Brand Guide
      • Communication Strategy
    • Documents
    • Membership | TOR
    • FAQ
  • Members
    • Who We Are >
      • Organisational Structure
      • Structure History
      • Membership
    • Where We Work >
      • Australia and Oceania
      • Central America and the Caribbean
      • Indian Ocean
      • Mediterranean
      • Northeast Atlantic
      • Northwest Atlantic
      • Northeast Pacific
      • Northwest Pacific
      • Eastern South America
      • Western South America
      • Southeast Asia
      • Sub-equatorial Africa
      • West Africa
    • What We Do
  • Resources
    • Shark News
    • Publications >
      • Status Reports
      • Fisheries Management
      • Conservation Strategies
      • Migratory Species
      • Other
      • SSG Statements
      • Identification Guide
      • Trade
      • Shark News Legacy
    • Scientific References
    • Conservation Strategies >
      • Conservation Strategies: Sawfish
      • Conservation Strategies: Devil and Manta Rays
      • Conservation Strategies: Angel Sharks
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        • CITES 17th CoP
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