Saving the most threatened group of fish in the world

When it comes to most threatened group of fish in the world, the slot unfortunately goes to Sawfish. Sharks and rays regularly hog lime light in international media but there is nothing much on Sawfish.

Now Shark Specialist Group of the IUCN has come to the forefront of rescue of this fish. They have launched a global strategy to save the fish.

 Dr. Nick Dulvy, who serves as IUCN SSG Co-Chair and Canada Research Chair at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia says  “The sawfishes, revered for millennia by coastal cultures around the world, now face greater extinction risk than any other family of marine fish,” said strategy co-author, “With this comprehensive strategy, we aim to reignite sawfish reverence and spark conservation action in time to bring these iconic species back from the brink.”

The scientist are exhorting the following points as part of the conservation strategy

National and regional actions to prohibit intentional killing of sawfish,

Minimize mortality of accidental catches,

Protect sawfish habitats,

Improve effectiveness of communications,

Capacity building,

Strategic research,

Responsible husbandry and

Fundraising to ensure implementation