It’s the first known sawfish sighting in over 26 years in South Africa, bringing a glimmer of hope!
East London, South Africa (23 September 2025) – Sawfish haven’t been recorded in South African waters since the late ‘90s. That’s why when East London resident Mike Vincent spotted one washed up on a beach south of the Birah River Mouth last week, it meant big news!
“Sawfish, which are known to be the most endangered elasmobranchs globally, haven’t been recorded in South African waters for decades, with the last reported individual being released alive from the KZN Shark Nets in 1999 in KwaZulu-Natal,” shares Sharks Under Attack, highlighting the gravity of the find.
Mike Vincent found the remains of what experts think is a large-tooth sawfish on the beach and immediately called East London Museum’s Kevin Cole, who instantly recognised it as such. He bolted there to investigate and take samples right away.
Sawfish are easily recognisable with their long, flattened snouts edged with tooth-like structures, called the rostrum. While their appearance may be misleading, sawfish are in fact rays, and not sharks.
“There are two known species to occur in South Africa, the green sawfish (Pristis zijsron) and the Largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis),” Sharks Under Attack shares.
Habitat loss and fishing methods like gillnetting are believed to have led to their disappearance, the organisation says. This sighting brings a bit of hope that a species we once thought to be locally extinct might still have a chance.
“Let’s celebrate this moment, but also recommit to restoring our estuaries, which are critical habitats for these species, as well as protecting our marine heritage. One sawfish doesn’t mean recovery, but it does mean possibility.”
Anyone who may have seen or caught a sawfish in South Africa is urged to report it to Bernadine (bernadine@ori.org.za), Kevin (kcole@elmuseum.za.org) or Geremy (gcliff21@gmail.com).
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