October 17th is World Sawfish Day 🌊 Pictured here are two of our educators who use these donated rostrums to educate students and guests about sawfish, and about the terrible practice of trophy hunting that takes places to this day. Take a look below at some important facts and resources about this amazing animals! Researchers found that sawfish have been in our ocean since prehistoric times, however, all five species have been declared endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN RedList. As a top predator of their food chain, sawfish help maintain a balanced and healthy ecosystem by controlling populations in coastal environments. Causes for near extinction: 🫧 Bycatch: A sawfish's teeth and rostrum can be easily tangled in fishing nets and are found in this gear more than almost any other species, often being caught unintentionally. 🫧 Habitat Loss: Growing human populations and development leads to modifying and depleting nearshore habitats. This is dangerous for young sawfish because they thrive in coastal and riverine environments as it is easier for them to find food and protect themselves from predators. 🫧 Trade: International trade of sawfish is illegal, however many regions are still in need of local protection. Sawfish fins are among the most valuable in the global shark fin trade, as well as their rostrum, meat, skin, and eggs. A trophy hunter's goal is to primarily obtain novel parts from animals, such as heads, hides, claws, or even the whole body, to display. Hundreds of thousands of animals worldwide are killed by trophy hunting every year. Trophy hunters have been known to amputate the sawfish's rostrum as a trophy or to sell it as a rarity. A sawfish's rostrum is a vital body part as they use it for self-defense and detecting and catching prey, meaning that this removal is detrimental to the sawfish's survival. *Rostrums were donated to our aquarium for educational purposes @sawfishconservationsociety is dedicated to raising awareness of these fin-credible animals and the dangers they face. Celebrate the sawfish by checking out their conservation efforts at the link in our bio! #KeepThemSwimming