By Sonja Fordham, Guest Author
Twenty years after the Smalltooth Sawfish was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), experts on the associated Recovery Team met in the Everglades to share updates, agree on next steps for improved conservation, conduct additional field research, and generally celebrate the species.
The Smalltooth Sawfish — a slow-growing, mangrove dependent, shark-like ray — was once plentiful in the Southeast U.S., particularly off Florida. During the 20th century, the U.S. population was severely depleted from intentional and accidental fishing and, to a lesser extent, habitat loss. In response, my colleagues and I at the Center for Marine Conservation (now the Ocean Conservancy) developed a petition that led the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list the species as Endangered under the ESA on April 1, 2003. The designation prompted federal protections and the establishment of a multidisciplinary team of experts to develop, monitor, and amend a comprehensive, long-term Recovery Plan for the species.
At the special anniversary meeting held in Everglades City, the Sawfish Team members not only discussed the latest sawfish science and avenues for bolstering protections but also engaged members of the public through an evening event featuring a new documentary on regional sawfish research. A day in the field resulted in the tagging of a whopping ten juvenile sawfish, which will yield crucial information about their habits and, in turn, inform future iterations of the Recovery Plan.
Twenty years ago, we had a much poorer understanding of Florida’s sawfish. The ESA listing allowed for collaborative research that has greatly expanded our knowledge of sawfish behaviors, from feeding and reproduction to habitat use and stress response. In addition, thanks to the tireless outreach efforts of (Sawfish News regular author) Tonya Wiley of Havenworth Coastal Conservation, the public is also much better informed about the status of sawfish and what to do if one is encountered. There are even encouraging signs that the population, at least the juveniles, may be increasing, and lessons learned in the U.S. are inspiring conservation actions for other threatened sawfish populations around the world. At the same time, some key fisheries information, particularly with respect to shrimp trawl bycatch, is still sorely lacking and major threats to sawfish — from illegal fishing to habitat loss — remain. Most urgently, along Florida’s west coast, we need to increase the observations of shrimp trawling operations, turn sawfish hotspots into protected areas, and minimize destruction of mangrove and wetland areas.
Changing fishing policies and conserving Critical Habitats are uphill battles. Help from the concerned public is essential to balance opposition and convince managers to act. We’ve achieved so much for sawfish over the last two decades, but we still have a long way to go. Concerned citizens who champion sawfish protections and tell policymakers to prioritize population recovery can make all the difference in securing a brighter future for this irreplaceable species.
Sawfish News guest author Sonja Fordham is president of Shark Advocates International, a project of The Ocean Foundation. She co-authored the ESA petition for the Smalltooth Sawfish while working at the Ocean Conservancy and has served on the NMFS Sawfish Recovery Team since the listing.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media