KARACHI: A 13-foot-long green sawfish, a critically endangered species, was recently caught by fishermen near the Pakistan-Iranian border, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) reported on Monday.

This species, scientifically known as Pristis zijsron, faces the threat of extinction.

“The sawfish was caught in a bottom-set gillnet deployed for catching demersal fish at the border of Pakistan and Iran,” said Mohammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser (Marine Fisheries) at the WWF-P.

The fish caught in Pakistani waters landed at the Iranian port of Pasa Bundar, just opposite Jiwani, he explained, adding that several Pakistani fishermen had relevant documents to use the Iranian port.

According to Mr Khan, the last authentic record of occurrence of this species, also known as longcomb sawfish, was reported on May 30, 2013, in the Khajar Creek area in the Indus delta. Its rostrum was 113 cm long.

“However, its recent catch in this particular area has been reported after three decades,” he said.

Three species of sawfish, such as Knifetooth (Anoxypristis cuspidatus), large tooth (Pristis pristis) and longcomb (Pristis zijsron), have been reported in Pakistan.

However, due to overfishing and habitat degradation, the population of sawfish has decreased dramatically and they are now considered to be nearly extinct at the local level.

The main area of sawfish fishing in Pakistan was Miani Hor (Sonmiani), Kalmat Khor, Jiwani, Gwadar and the Pakistan-Iranian border (Gwater Bay). Besides, it had been reported all along the Indus delta, especially Khajar Creek.

Sawfish meat used to be exported to Sri Lanka along with other sharks in salted dried form. Fins used to be exported to Hong Kong.

The WWF-Pakistan has initiated a study on the historical data on sawfish in Pakistan through interviews of retired fishermen. This survey has been carried out in Karachi, Damb (Sonmiani), Gwadar, Jiwani, Ibrahim Hyderi and other coastal villages.

The information collected so far has revealed that sawfish fisheries were flourishing about 40 years back, but the species became locally extinct by the 1980s.

The sawfish were so abundant that in some coastal villages, fishermen used to use the saws (rostra) as the boundary posts of their houses.

Because of the decline in sawfish populations worldwide, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed all sawfish species as ‘Critically Endangered’.

Sawfish are also included in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which prohibits any commercial trade in those species.

The species is characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp transverse teeth resembling a saw, giving its name as sawfish.

They have a long life, slow growth, late maturity, and low fecundity, making them extremely vulnerable to any changes that may reduce their population.

Sawfish rostrums (saws) can easily become entangled in nets and other fishing gear, making them vulnerable targets for overfishing.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2021