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CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
Past Seminars

Seminar Abstract

Is there a future for sawfishes in northern Australia?

Sawfish are large – up to 4 m long – elasmobranchs. Their most prominent feature is the large toothed saw which has attracted interest and souvenir hunters for generations.

Until relatively recently, they were common in most tropical and temperate seas. Over the past 30 to 50 years, their numbers have declined dramatically and they are now extinct in many countries. Australia, especially in the north, is the last area with substantial populations and we also have several species. Even here however numbers are decreasing and their range is shrinking. Sawfishes are captured incidentally in several fisheries in northern Australia and they have also been targeted for their large and valuable fins. Recent legislative measures appear to have provided little protection.

This talk gives information about sawfishes in general and more particularly from the Northern Prawn Fishery – one of the sources of impact on remaining populations.

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CSIRO = Marine Laboratories Auditorium, Castray Esplanade, Hobart

For further information, or to schedule a seminar, contact:
Peter Oke, (Oceanographic seminars) CSIRO Marine Research (03) 6232 5387
Piers Dunstan, (Biological seminars) CSIRO Marine Research (03) 6232 5382
Katrina Nitschke, Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC (03) 6226 2265 & IASOS, University of Tasmania (03) 6226 2509