Sawfish Update

By Sonja Fordham, Shark Advocates International

In recent months, U.S. conservationists, scientists, and government officials have made important strides in international cooperation toward saving critically endangered sawfishes. Because the U.S. is one of only a few bright spots for sawfish in the world, proactively sharing lessons from our research and conservation successes can be key to inspiring other countries to take meaningful action and bring their populations back from the brink.

In early June, at a meeting in Honduras, conservationists from Shark Advocates International and SeaLife Law welcomed the listing of the Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis pristis) under Annex II of the Cartagena Convention Protocol for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol). Through this action, Caribbean countries commit to strictly protect the species and cooperate regionally to recover populations. The Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata) was listed in 2017. Both listings were proposed by the Dutch government and supported by the U.S. The success of the listing depends, of course, on immediate follow-up actions by a variety of players.

Just days prior, researchers from Havenworth Coastal Conservation and Florida State University, with help from fishing guides and students, spotted and tagged a 328 cm (10'9") female Smalltooth Sawfish in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas -- the first sawfish tagging event in this island group. While awaiting information about the animal’s movement and DNA make-up, the team warns that this population is very small and vulnerable. Fishing guides with long histories in the region report only seeing a few over the years. At the same time, the word of the tagging quickly spread across the island and prompted more reports of sawfish encounters in the Abacos.

While additional sawfish expeditions are being planned for the Bahamas as well as Cuba, it is important to stress that sawfish remain at serious risk in both of these nations and beyond. Specifically, these and other range countries urgently need clear prohibitions on fishing, retaining, and killing of sawfish, along with educational programs to raise awareness about the species’ status, demonstrate protocols for safe release, and ensure the reporting of encounters. The U.S. has excellent examples of sawfish protection regulations and outreach materials, and also ample interest in promoting these tools.

To that end, sawfish will feature prominently at the welcome event when the U.S. hosts the meeting of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) in mid-July. The government is teaming up with conservationists and the Frost Museum of Science to showcase U.S. activities to study and protect Florida’s Smalltooth Sawfish, in hopes of sparking greater regional collaboration toward saving the species.

All of these events are cause for hope and yet sawfishes remain relatively low priority species in too many arenas. You can help by thanking U.S. federal and state officials for their groundbreaking sawfish initiatives and by encouraging people in neighboring countries to consider similar actions.