NEWS RELEASE

MOTE MARINE LABORATORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Terri Behling, Public Relations Manager 941-388-4441 ext. 417

MOTE RESEARCH CONTRIBUTES TO LISTING

OF SMALLTOOTH SAWFISH ON ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

April 1, 2003 – NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) today announced it has determined the U.S. population of smalltooth sawfish, a once-abundant species of rays, warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Smalltooth sawfish are large rays, closely related to sharks and one of several living species in the sawfish family. Sawfish, in general, are found around the world along coasts, in bays and in rivers of mostly tropical climates. They get their name from the long, flattened "saw" B rimmed by dozens of "teeth" B that protrudes forward from its head. A sawfish uses its saw to stir up muddy or sandy bottoms in order to find and injure prey. Smalltooth sawfish can grow to more than 18 feet and live more than 20 years.

Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research provided important research findings to the listing process. Mote began its Sawfish Conservation Biology Research Project in 1999 in order to provide scientific data on the current status of the smalltooth sawfish and provide data relevant to the conservation of the species.

“Our research is a positive step towards conserving these unique, and now rare, creatures and we hope the public will join in our efforts by reporting captures or sightings of sawfish,” said Dr. Colin Simpfendorfer, Senior Scientist with Mote’s Center for Shark Research. His research has consisted of surveys in southwest Florida and acoustic tracking of smalltooth sawfish movement patterns. Anyone sighting a sawfish is asked to report the date, location (as accurately as possible), how the sawfish was encountered (caught on a fishing line, seen in the shallows, etc.) and information about the sawfish, especially its size.

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Sawfish were once relatively common in Florida, but in the past fifty years their population has decreased severely due to extensive gillnetting, trawling and habitat degradation that has resulted from extensive coastal development. The sawfish population is now believed to be restricted to remote areas of southwest Florida, particularly the Everglades and the Florida Keys.

Listing of the smalltooth sawfish as a federally protected endangered species prohibits possession of these animals in state or federal waters. Fishermen should not try to catch sawfish but instead report any sightings to Mote Marine Laboratory.

To report a sawfish sighting call (941 388-4441, 1-800-691-MOTE) or email (colins@mote.org). More information on sawfish can be found on the Mote sawfish web page at www.mote.org/~colins/Sawfish/SawfishHomePage.html.

Mote’s Center for Shark Research is the world’s largest scientific research organization dedicated to the study of sharks and their relatives, the skates and rays. Mote scientists conduct field and laboratory studies on the biology of large and small sharks, stingrays, skates and sawfish, working in Florida and many nations around the world.

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