What’s happening?
Australia is home to some of the last remaining populations of four critically endangered sawfish species, and now citizen scientists are being called to action during National Sawfish Sighting Week 2024, running from 26 October to 2 November.
The event, organised by Sharks And Rays Australia (SARA), aims to gather crucial data through public sightings – or reports of no sightings – across Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Registration closes on Friday, 25 October, and participants who register will be entered into a draw for a chance to join a 2025 sawfish expedition to Queensland’s Far North.
Why it matters?
In December 2023, all five sawfish species were reassessed as ‘critically endangered’ on the IUCN Red List.
Of these, four species – the Freshwater sawfish, Dwarf sawfish, Green sawfish, and Narrow sawfish – are found in northern Australian waters.
However, proof of their existence is now limited to isolated areas. Sawfish habitats are rapidly disappearing worldwide, and their numbers are shrinking.
“We’re in a race against time to find out where these magnificent creatures still exist, and in what numbers,” explains Dr Barbara Wueringer, founder and principal scientist of SARA.
“For four out of five sawfish species, north Australian waters may contain their last populations, and we can’t let them quietly disappear.”
By the numbers
– Since 2017, over 1,500 public sighting reports have been submitted to Sharks And Rays Australia (SARA).
– 4 species of sawfish – Freshwater sawfish, Dwarf sawfish, Green sawfish, and Narrow sawfish – are found in Australia.
– Sawfish can grow to between 3 and 7 metres in length, with their distinctive saw-like snouts measuring up to 2 metres.
– Sawfish populations have shrunk drastically, with sightings now rare outside Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia-
– Forty years ago, sawfish were commonly seen in tropical and subtropical waters as far south as Sydney Harbour.
Dr Wueringer launched National Sawfish Sighting Week in 2023 to significantly expand public sighting data, noting that “community involvement is taking sawfish conservation to the next level.”
Zoom in
Recent reports have brought encouraging news.
“What’s really encouraging is we’ve received recent sighting submissions from areas on Queensland’s east coast where we previously thought sawfish populations had completely disappeared,” says Dr Wueringer, citing sightings from Mackay and Moreton Bay.
During National Sawfish Sighting Week, everyone from drone enthusiasts to beach walkers are encouraged to participate, with Dr Wueringer advising participants to snap photos or videos if they spot a sawfish.
“If people are not sure what they’re looking at, they should still take a photo or video as we can quickly identify sawfish from other sharks and rays by their fins,” she says.
Both sightings and ‘non-sightings’ are equally valuable, as the ratio helps researchers estimate population numbers across different regions.
Zoom out
The global population of sawfish is in sharp decline due to habitat loss and overfishing.
Sawfish use their long, tooth-lined snouts (known as rostrum) to detect and kill prey. “Sawfish are stealth predators,” explains Dr Wueringer.
“They use their saw-like snout to detect and kill prey, delivering fast swipes that can split a fish in half.”
Sawfish are now the most endangered rays on the planet, and Australia’s northern waters may represent their last stronghold.
Sawfish are protected under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and various state legislation.
Local impact
Dr Wueringer also highlights the importance of community involvement in tracking sawfish sightings:
Our sighting campaign has shown that people can see sawfish without targeting them, like when they walk their dogs along a beach, fly their drones, or during boating near mangroves, and this is the information we are interested in.
” The most recent sightings include a sawfish pup in Weipa, Far North Queensland, and a diver’s video off Exmouth, Western Australia.
Sawfish sightings provide valuable information on habitat usage, as the creatures are most active in shallow coastal waters, estuaries, rivers, and creeks, using mudflats and mangroves as their primary habitats.
What to look for next?
Participants in National Sawfish Sighting Week will have the chance to win “a trip of a lifetime” – a 2025 SARA expedition to Queensland’s wild Cape York Peninsula, one of the last regions with high densities of sawfish.
“The Cape is one of the wildest and most remote areas on the planet, and every trip is different,” Dr Wueringer says, describing a recent expedition.
“Expeditions are a lot of fun, but you never know what’s going to happen. We’ve experienced everything from being caught in a sandstorm to driving through a 20km-long locust swarm.”
She adds, “There’s also so much beauty, like witnessing incredible sunsets and sunrises, observing sea eagles cruise above us, and hearing stories from Traditional Owners about how every living thing is connected and needs to be protected.”
Dr Wueringer stresses that the 2025 expedition will be an unforgettable experience but also requires physical fitness, as it involves camping and boating.
“People often ask me if I only want PhD students to join field expeditions. What I really want are ‘MacGyvers’ – people who can troubleshoot with whatever is available.”
Join National Sawfish Sighting Week (26 October – 2 November) to help protect sawfish from extinction. Register here before midnight, Friday 25 October.
Visit Sharks And Rays Australia for full details, including terms and conditions, and how to report sightings and non-sightings to SARA.