According to a new study, shark-like rays are on the verge of extinction and disappearing from half of the world’s coastal waters.
Sawdust was previously found off the coastlines of 90 countries. But now it is one of the world’s most endangered sea fish, and is thought to be extinct in 46 countries, researchers from Simon Fraser University in Canada said.
At least one species of sawfish is missing in 18 countries, and two species have disappeared in 28 countries, the researchers said.
Three of the five species of sawfish are critically endangered, and the other two are endangered, they warned.
Despite their alarming appearance, the fish are not considered dangerous to humans, but their saws – which can reach a third of their total length – are used to feed animals, dig them out and kill other fish.
But the teeth on their “saw” – known as rostra – mean that the creatures are easily entangled in fishing nets, while their fins are valuable in the shark fin market. Their researchers said that their rostra was also sold as novelties, for medicine, and as tracks for cockfighting.
“Due to the plight of sawfish, we are documenting the first cases of a wide marine fish being driven to local extinction by overfishing,” said Nick Dulvy, a professor of marine biodiversity and conservation at SFU, in a statement.
“We have known for some time that the dramatic expansion of fisheries is the primary threat to ocean biodiversity, but robust population assessment is difficult for low-priority fish whose catch is poorly monitored over time,” he said. .
They say they have identified ‘priority countries’ where there is still a chance to save the species.
Conservation efforts must be made in Cuba, Tanzania, Colombia, Madagascar, Panama, Brazil, Mexico and Sri Lanka, where protection may save the endangered species. Countries like the US and Australia, which already have adequate protection and some sawfish, should be considered a lifeboat country.
“While the situation is dire, we hope to make up for the bad news by highlighting our informed identification of these priority countries with the hope of rescuing sawfish in their waters,” said Helen Yan, a researcher in marine biodiversity and conservation. SFU, said. “We also emphasize our finding that it is actually still possible to restore sawfish to more than 70 percent of their historical extent, if we act now.”