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Critically endangered sawfish caught off Karnataka coast, auctioned: Report
Sawfish are protected species in India under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, which means hunting and trading in them may attract punishment similar in magnitude to what is awarded for killing a tiger or elephant.
An extremely rare and critically endangered sawfish was reportedly caught by fishermen in Malpe in Karnataka's Udupi district on Thursday, according to media reports. The 10-foot-long carpenter shark, which reportedly weighed about 250kg, was accidentally trapped in the nets of a boat named ‘Sea Captain’, reported The New Indian Express.
The pictures of the sawfish doing rounds on the internet show the carpenter shark tied with rope as it is lying on the ground. In a video posted on Twitter, the sawfish can be seen lifted by a JCB crane. As per the TNIE report, the crane was used to bring the dead sawfish to an auction area at Malpe fisheries harbour where it was allegedly sold to a trader from Mangaluru.
The report suggests that the nearby fisheries department office was caught unaware of the illegal activity.
The five species of sawfish are rated as endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Often hunted for their fins, teeth and saw, trading in them and their parts are restricted by CITES.
Sawfish are protected species in India under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, which means hunting and trading in them may attract punishment similar in magnitude to what is awarded for killing a tiger or elephant.
