But the shark-like rays are on the brink of extinction, according to a new study, as they have disappeared from half of the world’s coastal waters.
Sawfish was once found on the coastlines of 90 countries. But now they are among the most endangered marine fish in the world, and are already believed to be extinct in some 46 countries, according to researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada.
At least one species of sawfish is missing in 18 countries, and two species have disappeared in 28 countries, the researchers said.
Three out of five sawfish species 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 for feeding, digging out animals, and killing or maiming other fish.
But the teeth on their “saws” – known as rostra – mean that the creatures easily get entangled in fishing nets, while their fins are valuable in the shark fin market. Their rostras are also sold as novelties, for drugs, and used as spurs for cockfighting, the researchers said.
“The plight of the sawfish is documenting the first instances of a wide range of marine fish facing local extinction due to overfishing,” Nick Dulvy, a professor of marine biodiversity and conservation at SFU, said in a statement.
“We have known for some time that the dramatic expansion of fisheries is the main threat to ocean biodiversity, but robust population assessment is difficult for low-priority fish whose catches have been poorly controlled 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 could save the endangered species. Countries such as the US and Australia, which already have adequate protection, and some sawfish, should be considered “lifeboat” countries.
“While the situation is dire, we hope to offset the bad news by highlighting our informed identification of these priority countries with hopes of saving sawfish in their waters,” said Helen Yan, a marine biodiversity and conservation researcher at SFU. “We also underscore our finding that it is actually still possible to reduce sawfish to over 70 percent of their historical range if we act now.”