Sawfish are among the world’s most threatened marine fishes. They are a small group of batoids (rays) which occur in shallow, coastal habitats in tropical and subtropical waters. All five species face a very high risk of global extinction based on severe population declines due to commercial and recreational fishing mortality, primarily as by-catch, combined with the loss of critical near-shore habitat due to coastal development. The smalltooth sawfish is at risk because it has the smallest and most fragmented remaining geographic range, which has contracted ~80%. Conservation actions are currently limited by lack of data in most regions.
The Project
Despite its perilous status globally, there are positive signs of a viable population of smalltooth sawfish in Andros Island, Bahamas. The project, a collaboration with Florida State University and NOAA researchers, has documented sawfish of all life stages throughout Andros over the past decade. Captured individuals are tracked via satellite and acoustic telemetry, revealing the importance of Andros as both nursery and pupping habitat for the species, only the second confirmed pupping ground for the species globally. The project aims to elucidate the distribution and abundance of sawfish throughout Andros and the broader Bahamas by delineating essential sawfish habitats via field methods alongside interviews with water users, stakeholders and the general public.
The Impact
The progressive fisheries regulations of the Bahamas, such as the prohibition of longlines and gillnets and the protection of all shark species, offer limited protection to sawfish as they are not sharks. Project results are communicated directly to the government of the Bahamas and contribute to the efforts of research, NGO and government agencies to support the protection of the species throughout the Bahamas. This may prove critical to recovery of the species given increased coastal development throughout the Bahamas, including mangrove removals, which may threaten sawfish essential habitat.