Largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 242534345

Saving the River Guardians and their Nursery: Community-based Conservation of Critically Endangered Juvenile Largetooth Sawfish in Panama

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), sawfishes are among the most threatened families of marine fishes, and vertebrates, worldwide. Populations have declined by over 90% due to overfishing and habitat loss, placing them on the brink of extinction without urgent conservation action. Since 2016, MarAlliance has confirmed the continued presence of largetooth sawfish along Panama’s Pacific coasts and rivers—initially through fisher surveys, then environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, and finally direct captures. The recent discovery of a lifeboat population and the first confirmed nursery grounds for this species in the Americas, located in Panama’s remote and biodiverse Darién province, may be critical to the species’ regional survival.

This project aims to halt these declines by monitoring remaining populations to inform management strategies, building local capacity for conservation, and raising awareness to drive behavioral change. Central to this approach is empowering artisanal fishers and students to take active roles in species protection.

Building on successful collaboration with fishers in Darién, where MarAlliance recorded the first largetooth sawfish capture by a research team in Central America in over 20 years, the initiative emphasizes training and outreach to promote safe handling and release of sawfish caught incidentally.

Since 2020, MarAlliance and its fisher partners have captured, sampled, and released nine largetooth sawfish, two directly with research teams and seven by independent fishers. This capture and release success is unparalleled in the Americas and reflects the strength of MarAlliance’s inclusive, community-based research model. By engaging a core group of committed fishers who benefit economically from monitoring, involving women in livelihood activities, and educating children through outreach, this holistic strategy fosters stewardship while addressing local socioeconomic needs.

To achieve our goal of bringing sawfish back from the brink of extinction, this project is structured around the following key objectives:

 

• Objective 1: Collection of quantitative data on neonate and juvenile largetooth sawfish, their critical habitats, and their potential overlap with fisheries activities supportive of long-term management planning.
• Objective 2: Develop field capacities of local fishers and students in scientific sampling, fisheries monitoring, large animal handling, and leadership.
• Objective 3: Engage fishers and their families to form a supportive network that undertakes remunerated long-term monitoring, builds stewardship and combats illegal wildlife trade.
• Objective 4: Build stewardship and behavioral change through engagement of students and community members in sawfish research/conservation through education, economic and outreach activities.