Marine Animals

Sawfish Welfare and Conservation: The Rarest Sharks in the Ocean

Sawfish are among the most critically endangered marine animals on Earth. Their distinctive rostrum makes them highly vulnerable to entanglement and targeted poaching.

Key Facts

All five sawfish species are Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
Their toothed rostrum is used to detect and slash prey, not as a weapon
Sawfish were once found across tropical coasts worldwide but now persist in only a fraction of their range
Their rostrums are prized as trophies and the teeth are sold as curios
Entanglement in nets is the primary cause of sawfish decline in most regions

Welfare Considerations

Sawfish entanglement in fishing gear is particularly traumatic: the rostrum catches in nets and the animal struggles violently, sustaining rostrum tooth loss, skin abrasions, and sometimes internal injuries before drowning. Even released individuals show elevated stress hormones and reduced survival. Poaching for trophies removes individuals from populations already too small to sustain further losses.

What You Can Do

Never purchase sawfish rostrums or curio products
Support no-take zones in critical sawfish nursery habitat such as shallow mangrove systems
Donate to sawfish recovery programmes in Australia, the US, and West Africa
Report any sawfish sightings or illegal wildlife products to relevant authorities