Common sawfish  (Pristis pristis)

Once common in the Mediterranean and the Eastern Atlantic, the common sawfish has now been extirpated from the Mediterranean and European waters, and populations in Africa are believed to be severely depleted (2). Similarly, in Lake Nicaragua where this species used to be abundant, the common sawfish barely continues to exist (3). These distressing declines have been largely due to over-fishing and the degradation of important estuarine and freshwater habitats (5). The common sawfish is hunted for its unique and peculiar blade-like snout, fins and meat. They are also captured for public aquaria, where they are highly prized as exhibits (5). Incidental capture in fisheries also poses a significant threat, as its toothed saw makes this fish especially prone to getting entangled in fishing nets (2) (5). Characteristics of the sawfish's life history, such as slow growth rate, poor rate of reproduction, and high age of maturity, makes the common sawfish extremely vulnerable to over-exploitation, and unable to easily recover from low numbers (5).

The common sawfish is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that international trade in this species is prohibited except in exceptional circumstances (4). Besides this listing, there are currently no conservation measures in place for this species, and it is believed that without urgent intervention, there is a high probability that this sawfish will become extinct (2).