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Florida's Sawfish Population In Sharp Decline

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By NEIL JOHNSON

njohnson@tampatrib.com

Published: December 31, 2008

TAMPA - With its imposing size, prehistoric appearance and unique barbed snout, the sawfish once was a common sight in Florida waters, often hauled to docks as a trophy catch or dispatched by fishermen when nets ensnared the toothy bill.

They ranged the coasts from Texas to New York, but now Southwest Florida is their main refuge, researchers say, with at most 10,000 remaining in Florida waters and maybe as few as 5,000.

The smalltooth sawfish was placed on the endangered species list in 2003. Its cousin, the longtooth sawfish, hasn't been seen in Florida waters since the 1940s.

Now, scientists want the public's help to track the rare creature to learn more about its numbers, range and any other information that can be gleaned.

The information will be added to a database being kept by the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History, said George Burgess, director of the museum's Florida Program for Shark Research.

The database is part of a long-term recovery program to get the sawfish off the endangered species list.

"Here we have an animal that's large and moves around a lot, so each and every record of one is important to us," Burgess said.

The sawfish's bill - scientists call it a rostrum - is a major reason for its demise, often getting caught in commercial nets.

A thrashing, 17-foot-long sawfish can shred a net and is dangerous to disentangle.

"A gill net is a very effective tool for catching sawfish," Burgess said. "I suspect most sawfish found in a net were killed."

As Florida's population swelled, recreational anglers added to the carnage. Even after they grow to 10 feet or longer, sawfish frequent water only a few feet deep. That made them popular targets to harpoon from skiffs.

The saws made dandy souvenirs and festooned walls in homes, bars and restaurants.

"It became a trophy fish," Burgess said. "On top of that the loss of habitat has been huge. There's plenty of blame to go around on this."

The goals of the recovery plan, which is being funded and overseen by the National Marine Fishery Service, include preserving sawfish habitat and expanding their range.

Sawfish aren't just struggling in Florida. Species inhabit tropical coastal water around the globe and numbers are dwindling elsewhere. The last sawfish seen off northwest Africa was in 1984.

"They are endangered throughout the world," Burgess said. "If a group of fish has a chance of extinction, it's the sawfish. It's hard to imagine an animal that gets more than 20 feet long could be in trouble."

HAVE YOU SEEN ONE?

Researchers are looking for information about encounters with sawfish, from catching one to just spotting one. Even old photos of sawfish are useful, as are newspaper and magazine articles, books and historical reports.

What information should you report?

•Your name, phone number and e-mail address

•Date, time and location of the encounter

•Number, size and behavior of the sawfish

•Your activity at the time, such as fishing, boating or diving

•Information on any tags, scars or other distinguishing marks

There are four ways to report an encounter:

•Complete the form at www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/sawfish/sawfishform1....

•Download the form and e-mail it to sawfish@flmnh.ufl.edu.

•Download the form and mail it to: Joana Fernandez de Carvalho, National Sawfish Encounter Database, Florida Program for Shark Research, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall Museum Road, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville FL 32611-7800.

•Call George H. Burgess or Joana Fernandez de Carvalho at (352) 392-2360 or (352) 871-8230.

For information about sawfish and the recovery program, go to www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/sawfish.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731.

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