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A coral trout caught with Darwin's Equinox Fishing Charters

Matt Flynn's Northern Territory
fishing report: June 5, 2005

Also available in the Darwin Sunday
newspaper, Sunday Territorian


With more and more anglers hitting the water these days it is important that fishermen understand basic environmental issues.
Up north we have some endangered fish species.
Northern fishermen may on occasion catch sawfish, a group of species that has become rare.
Sawfish are like a cross between a shark and a ray.
They possess shark-like skin and dorsal fins. However, their gill slits are under their body like rays.
Sawfish have an extended bill which they use to fend off predators and to capture prey, mainly fish and crustaceans.
Across northern Australia there are four sawfish species - the freshwater sawfish, green sawfish, dwarf sawfish and the narrow or slimy sawfish.
The freshwater sawfish, as its name suggests, inhabits the freshwater reaches of many rivers far inland. It also occurs in marine waters.
Anecdotal records suggest this species is in considerable decline, especially on Queensland east coast, and the International Union on the Conservation of Nature says the freshwater sawfish is critically endangered.
Concern for sawfish has encouraged research into their biology.
An extensive tagging program is under way.
From what has been established to date the freshwater sawfish prefers freshwater habitats in the early years of its cycle before going offshore as it ages.
It is believed mature freshwater sawfish return to river mouths in the wet season to pup.
The age at maturity for this species is about nine years and 3.3m in total length, and growing to more than 6m.
This species' distinguishing features are 18 to 23 pairs of teeth extending to the snout and equally spaced. The first dorsal fin begins well in front of pelvic fin, and there is a distinct lower lobe on the tail. It has rough skin.
Australia has half of the world’s known sawfish diversity.
The Gulf of Carpentaria and other remote northern areas are of key importance to sustaining sawfish populations.
Please report sightings or captures, especially if with photos to the World Wildlife Fund, savannas@wwf.org.au or send to WWF, GPO Box 1268, Darwin, NT, 0801.
Sawfish should be released unharmed - never cut off the saw and release the fish, as they do not survive.

     

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