Your chance to save speartooth sharks & sawfish from extinction

The rivers and coasts of northern Queensland are one of the only places left on earth where you’ll find speartooth sharks and sawfish. They’re little known, threatened with extinction, and they need our help. Let’s add our voice and save our threatened sharks.

The Hon.

Sussan

Ley

Minister for the Environment

Dear Minister,

I am deeply concerned about the plight of sawfish and speartooth sharks in the Gulf of Carpentaria (hereafter the “Gulf”). The Gulf is one of the last global strongholds for these species, with sawfish in particular having already lost half of their global range.

The speartooth shark is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act, and of the four species of sawfish found in the Gulf three are listed as Vulnerable under the Act.

Gillnet fishing is the primary threat to sawfish and speartooth shark in the Gulf, particularly in the rivers and coastal waters critical for their reproduction and survival. Current management of the fishery by the Queensland Government is failing to protect these endangered animals and is preventing their recovery.

The Queensland-managed Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fin Fish Fishery is currently under assessment by the Department of Environment for accreditation as a Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO). I ask that you ensure strong conditions are attached to the WTO that protect sawfish and speartooth sharks from fishing with gillnets.

Since the 1980’s the speartooth shark has disappeared from several rivers in northern and east coasts of Queensland, and recent estimates suggest there are only around 800 left with as few as 100 females. Sawfish have been almost wiped out on the east coast - the green sawfish is presumed extinct in New South Wales, the last one seen in 1972.(1) 

I ask you to ensure the protection of these species by removing gillnet fishing from critical habitats as part of the Gulf fishery’s license to operate. Removing gillnets from areas these animals depend on is essential to support the recovery of sawfish and speartooth sharks

I request that you address the very grave threats facing the survival of sawfish and speartooth sharks in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in recognition of their importance for Australia and the world.

Additional Comments


 
 1 - NSW DPI https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/threatened-species/what-current/extinct/green-sawfsh

Yours sincerely,

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