On 19 September 2025, a single sawfish, regarded as regionally extinct in South Africa, was discovered alongside the Japanese Cape coast. This animal, prone to be the Largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis) was photographed by native resident Mike Vincent, after he discovered it lifeless on the seashore south of the Birah River Mouth. He reported it to Kevin Cole, from the East London Museum, who instantly recognised the enduring rostrum, and went to research and take samples.
Kevin Cole – East London Museum, and Mike Vincent
At first look, Mike Vincent thought he was looking at… effectively, who is aware of what. Driftwood, possibly? The tide low and the form on the sand south of the Birah River Mouth appeared too unusual to be something dwelling. However as he stepped nearer, the reality sank in: it was an animal, alright. Vincent reported it to Kevin Cole, from the East London Museum, who instantly acknowledged the unmistakable rostrum of a sawfish — a creature many had assumed was gone from South African waters for good. That second was extra than simply an uncommon discover on the seashore. It was historic. Sawfish haven’t been recorded within the area for the reason that late Nineties, making Vincent’s discovery a shocking return for one of many ocean’s rarest residents. Cole, a veteran pure historian, rushed to the location to gather samples as information of the discover rapidly rippled by way of the conservation group.
Sawfish are globally acknowledged as probably the most endangered elasmobranchs, a bunch that features sharks and rays. Their look is unmistakable: a flattened physique topped with a protracted snout lined by enamel that resemble a jagged noticed blade. Regardless of their fearsome look, sawfish are rays, not sharks and their rostra function each weapon and sensory organ. With it, they’ll detect faint electrical indicators and slash by way of colleges of fish with lethal precision. Two species are recognized to happen in South Africa, the inexperienced sawfish (Pristis zijsron) and the largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis). Each have been pushed to the brink by habitat destruction and unsustainable fishing strategies. Estuaries, as soon as teeming nurseries for younger sawfish, have been choked by improvement, air pollution and altered river flows. Fishing gear resembling gillnets and trawls have additionally been devastating, ensnaring sawfish that can’t escape as soon as entangled. The final confirmed document was in 1999, when a sawfish was launched alive from KwaZulu-Natal Shark Nets.
Since then, they appeared to fade, and native marine biologists have feared the species may be regionally extinct.
The East London sighting could not point out a full return, but it surely cracks open a door lengthy thought sealed. Even one particular person suggests the likelihood that remnants of a inhabitants stay, hidden in estuaries or coastal waters. This discovery can be a name to double down on defending habitats that would nonetheless harbor survivors, because the Fb group Sharks Under Attack reminds us: “Let’s have a good time this second, but in addition recommit to restoring our estuaries, that are vital habitats for these species, in addition to defending our marine heritage.” The significance of estuaries can’t be overstated; these brackish zones the place rivers meet the ocean are cradles of biodiversity, sheltering juvenile fish and supporting migratory birds, crustaceans and numerous different species. For sawfish, estuaries are important. Safeguarding them by way of restoration initiatives, stricter air pollution controls and sustainable improvement presents an opportunity not only for sawfish survival however for more healthy marine ecosystems general.
The largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis, syn. P. microdon and P. perotteti) is traditionally widespread in marine, estuarine and freshwater waters of the Japanese Atlantic, Western Atlantic, Japanese Pacific and Indo-West Pacific – with 4 genetically distinct populations. It’s now extinct or severely depleted in numbers in a lot of its former vary.
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Sawfish have at all times occupied an virtually legendary standing within the ocean. With their sword-like rostra and big measurement, they type of really feel like relics from one other period. To see one instantly seem on a South African seashore after many years of silence is each eerie and electrifying, a reminder that the ocean nonetheless holds surprises. However the pleasure that comes with this sighting should even be balanced with realism. Sawfish have gradual life histories, that means they take years to succeed in sexual maturity, give beginning to comparatively few offspring and require secure situations to rebuild populations. A single washed-up carcass shouldn’t be proof of restoration. However what’s does present is proof that they don’t seem to be totally gone — and that is sufficient to gasoline each hope and urgency. Conservation applications that target defending estuaries, regulating fishing strategies and restoring pure river flows are important to giving sawfish an opportunity at long-term survival.
With out Vincent’s sharp eye and fast motion, this occasion may need handed unnoticed, leaving researchers with out vital information. Citizen observations like this one not solely assist scientists fill gaps in data, however illustrates how public consciousness and engagement can contribute to significant conservation work. With instruments like smartphones and direct strains to museums or analysis organizations, public involvement has by no means been extra impactful. By reporting uncommon sightings, accumulating pictures or serving to researchers entry distant areas, residents can play a direct position in preserving biodiversity! Within the case of sawfish, well timed reporting is vital as a result of researchers can take samples that inform inhabitants genetics, monitor threats and form restoration methods. It has been requested that if anybody in South Africa has seen this species not too long ago or has caught one, to please report this info to Bernadine (bernadine@ori.org.za), Kevin (kcole@elmuseum.za.org) or Geremy (gcliff21@gmail.com).
For South Africa, the problem now’s to deal with this as greater than a one-off curiosity. It must be a spark that ignites stronger conservation motion, from estuary restoration to stricter fishing laws. Defending sawfish means defending whole ecosystems and the ripple results prolong to each group that depends on wholesome oceans. South Africa’s coastal communities have a possibility to turn out to be stewards of their marine heritage as defending sawfish isn’t just about one species; it’s about safeguarding the community of life that is determined by estuaries, tidal flats and nearshore habitats. In conservation, hope is commonly step one towards motion, and typically, a single sighting can encourage many years of change.
