Program Begins To Ensure Sawfish Survival

September 3, 2004

Release from: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

A green sawfish has been tagged and tracked off the coast of Queensland for the first time, in a program that could mean the survival of Australia's largest freshwater fish.

The endangered green sawfish is virtually extinct in southern waters because of fishing practices.

The CSIRO's Richard Pillans says industry practices could be improved if more is learned about the fish.

"The main thing with sawfish is that they have this long rostra with these fine teeth on either side which makes them extremely susceptible to capture in any form of net," he said.

"When they get caught they're very hard to remove from nets, because of their large size and their fairly dangerous rostrum that it's hard to remove them without killing them."

Although classed as a freshwater fish, the green sawtooth can travel between fresh and saltwater at will.