Second World War. Sawfish liver oil is used as a medicine for respiratory problems in Eritrea (Peretti n.d.), and was consumed to treat vision problems in Yemen (Sima 2009). Leather Sawfishes have been exploited for leather intermittently throughout their range. Sawfishes commonly caught in the Big Pine Key shark fishery during the 1920s were a valued source for leather given the quality of their skin and the great surface area of the animal (Young and Mazet 1933, Viele 1996). Subsequently, a shark leather industry-pricing guide from 1960 lists sawfish leather at half the value of other sharks, apparently due to inferior leather quality (Anonymous 1960). However, the popularity of shark leather (used primarily for cowboy boots) has been declining since the 1980s, and currently shark leather production in America has fallen off dramatically (Rose 1996). Aquarium Trade Sawfishes have long been prized as exhibit animals in public aquaria (McDavitt 1996). Their bizarre appearance and enormous size make them favorite displays among aquarium patrons, and a number have survived for decades in captive conditions. Sawfishes have commanded high prices in the aquarium trade; a sawfish in the Vancouver Aquarium in 1986 was valued at U.S. $10,000 (Harper 1986) and juvenile Largetooth Sawfishes (P. pristis) imported from “freshwater Indonesia” by one Canadian dealer in the late 1990s were
priced at U.S. $5,000 per animal (Biotope Imports pers. comm. 1999). Another estimate from 2000 reported that sawfishes were then worth approximately U.S. $1,000 per foot (NMFS 2000). One Australian exporter has been regularly selling sawfishes to public aquaria worldwide for nearly a decade. Green Sawfish and Largetooth Sawfish sold for U.S. $5,400 per metre, and Dwarf Sawfish (P. clavata) sold for U.S. $5,700 per metre (L. Squire Jr. pers. comm. 2005). Prior to the listing of sawfishes on Appendices I and II of Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2007, juvenile Largetooth Sawfish, usually less than 1 m TL, were supplied to the international market by exporters in the Jambi province of Sumatra, Indonesia (Ng and Tan 1997). Even though this was a targeted fishery, the volume was apparently low because the animals themselves are scarce, with reported annual estimates under 20 animals per year (Tan and Lim 1998). However, anecdotal evidence shows that “…sawfish have not been seen in the ornamental trade in this region since the 2000s”, however demand still exists (H.H. Tan pers. comm. 2012). The removal of sawfishes from the wild for display in aquaria has been considered by some to be a significant threat to sawfish populations. However, the implementation of the CITES listings has reduced the potential threat of the unsustainable capture of sawfishes from the wild for use in aquaria. Eight live specimens of Largetooth Sawfish (P. pristis; traded under
P. microdon; then listed on Appendix II of CITES; see Section 9) were traded from Australia to France (n = 2) and the U.S. (n = 6) since 2007 (Appendix 6). This trade was carried out in accordance with CITES regulations and on the basis of a Non Detriment Finding (NDF) (DSEWPaC 2007). International commercial trade is now strictly restricted (see Section 9 for more details). There are 72 sawfishes from four species currently held in aquaria (S. White pers. comm. 2012; details of each facility and the number of sawfishes that they hold are shown in Appendix 7). It was thought for some time that it would be difficult to breed sawfishes in captivity, however, on 12 April 2012, two male and two female Smalltooth Sawfish (P. pectinata) pups were born to one female at the Atlantis, Paradise Island Resort (Bahamas) and were still alive at the time of press (December 2013). This may lead to captive breeding opportunities, which will in turn reduce the pressure on wild populations as a source of sawfishes for aquaria.
Generally speaking, Pristis is best. However, this species has become very rare now. Its four centimetre-thick fin meat walls, and toothpick-thick fin needles can perhaps only be seen now in dreams.
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