Washington, DC – Smalltooth sawfish will be listed as “endangered” and protected under the Endangered Species Act, the first such listing for a marine fish in U.S. waters, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced today. The Ocean Conservancy petitioned for the listing in 1999, citing the dramatic decline in sawfish populations due to a combination of factors, including incidental take by fishermen and habitat degradation. Once ranging from the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico to North Carolina, and seasonally as far as New York, smalltooth sawfish are now found only in a few protected areas in the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. Scientists estimate the original U.S. population has declined by as much as 99 percent.

“Sawfish are among the most endangered and yet under-protected fish in the world,” said Sonja Fordham, Fish Conservation Project Manager. “In the U.S., the Endangered Species Act will provide the recognition and impetus for conservation that is crucial to saving this unique animal from extinction. This decision also sends an important warning to the public and other government officials that marine fish can indeed be seriously threatened by human activities.”

Due to their tooth-studded, blade-like snouts, sawfish are especially vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear; this incidental take or ‘bycatch’ is the primary cause of their decline. Coastal development and pollution of sawfish’s nearshore habitat also threatens the long-term survival of the species.

Sawfish, closely related to sharks and rays, grow slowly, mature late, and produce few young. These characteristics make their populations especially vulnerable to overfishing and slow to recover from depletion.

“Prompt development of a science-based recovery plan is the next critical step to preventing extinction of this exceptional animal,” added Fordham. “ The public can help this effort by reporting all sawfish sightings, handling the species with care, and telling policy-makers to support sawfish research and conservation.” State rules are inadequate to ensure recovery, and no federal regulations protect sawfish.

In 1999, The Ocean Conservancy (then the Center for Marine Conservation) petitioned the Secretary of Commerce to list as “endangered” the two types of sawfish found in U.S. waters: smalltooth and largetooth. While NMFS decided not to list largetooth sawfish, any remaining individuals of that species would benefit from protection and awareness generated by a listing of smalltooth sawfish. Listing of sawfish as endangered mandates that managers develop a recovery plan for the fish, and possibly designate and protect critical habitat for the species.