In November 2021, the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group held a series of online workshops to reassess the Red List status of the five sawfish species (family Pristidae). This process concluded in December 2023 with the publication of the final assessment, for the narrow sawfish Anoxypristis cuspidata.
Since the previous assessments, conducted in 2012, sawfish have continued to face severe, ongoing threats from fishing and habitat loss, and collectively their status has worsened. Previously, three species were categorized as Critically Endangered and two as Endangered. With the reassessment of the narrow sawfish and dwarf sawfish Pristis clavata, all five species are now categorized as Critically Endangered. Based on the available evidence, population size reduction ≥ 80% was inferred or suspected over the last three generations as a result of a decline in their extent of occurrence and habitat quality, and potential levels of exploitation, and the causes of this reduction have not ceased. The latest assessments are disheartening and a reminder that continued actions to reduce mortality and protect critical habitats are urgently needed to prevent the extinction of sawfishes.
Nevertheless, some hope can be drawn from new information gathered during the reassessments. Several regions continue to support viable populations of some sawfish species, including parts of northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Additionally, there is strong evidence that the smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata is beginning to recover in Florida waters after 2 decades of sustained conservation efforts.
The past decade has also seen a shift in sawfish conservation, a sign that the 2014 Shark Specialist Group's Global Sawfish Conservation Strategy may be working (Yan et al., 2021, Science Advances, 7, 7). From relative obscurity, sawfish have moved into the conservation spotlight, with the emergence of several dedicated conservation initiatives, NGOs, directed funding and research programmes. This was reflected in the size and geographical diversity of the Red List reassessment team, which comprised 61 people from 25 nations.
Work over the last decade has provided a clearer picture of the global distribution of sawfishes, including in many poorly surveyed areas. This has led to the identification of sites where sawfishes continue to persist, amid intense pressure, such as in Bangladesh, Sudan and parts of Central America. Grassroots education and outreach programmes in these areas are leading to increased reports of sawfish being released alive. These initiatives are highlighting the potential to change attitudes toward these species and the urgent need for additional, similar approaches at the local level where sawfish are persisting.
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