Sawfish are some of the ocean’s most unusual animals. With their long, saw-like snouts and ancient-looking bodies, they have fascinated people for centuries, and in some cultures their rostrums were once seen as sacred or even magical. Today, though, that same strange anatomy is part of what makes them a target for poachers.The new concern is not just that sawfish are being hunted. It is what their rostral teeth are being turned into: spurs used in cockfighting, a trade that can be deeply hidden, highly profitable and devastating for one of the world’s most endangered marine species.
Why sawfish are so vulnerable
Sawfish belong to the ray family, but they look unlike almost anything else in the sea. Their flat rostrum, the long “saw” lined with tooth-like projections, is part of their skeleton, not just a surface feature. They use it to sense electric signals from prey, slash through fish, and dig in mud for shrimp and other bottom-dwelling animals.That extraordinary structure is useful in the wild, but it is also the reason sawfish are so easy to recognise and so tempting to exploit. The smalltooth sawfish was listed as endangered in the United States in 2003, and by the mid-2010s all five sawfish species had been classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
From trophy to weapon
Historically, sawfish rostrums were often taken as trophies and displayed on walls as rare, expensive curiosities. But a newer and far more disturbing use has persisted in some places: the teeth are carved into cockfighting spurs.In cockfighting circles, those spurs are attached to roosters to make fights more violent and deadly. That means the sawfish is killed for its rostrum, and the rooster is then forced into a brutal match armed with the remains. It is a grim example of one illegal trade feeding another.
Sawfish
Peru has become a hotspot
A recent study published in Conservation Letters investigated the illegal trade and found that Peru ranked high in sawfish rostrum commerce. Researchers interviewed cockfighting practitioners and representatives in several countries, including Peru, Mexico, Ecuador and Puerto Rico, and found that the trade often stays hidden from authorities.That hidden nature is a big problem. Study lead author Mariano Cabanillas-Torpoco said the trade remains under the radar, with government agencies lacking a clear picture of how much poaching is happening.Mario Espinoza, who studies sawfish at the University of Costa Rica, said the trade is not surprising because he has even been contacted by people seeking rostrums. Since many are sourced locally, tracing the original poachers is extremely difficult.
The business behind the poaching
The financial incentive is part of what makes this trade so hard to stop. Researchers found that a single sawfish rostrum can be worth up to $5,600 when used for rooster spurs. A pair of spurs can sell for $100 to $130, creating a substantial profit for the people extracting and selling the material.Some fishermen even carve the spurs themselves to increase the value. The most prized parts are the teeth from the center of the rostrum, which are especially hard and durable and therefore more likely to survive a fight.That kind of money can be hard to ignore in places where fishing income is uncertain. It helps explain why poaching continues even though sawfish are protected and international trade is banned.
Why enforcement is so difficult
The trade is often informal, local and deliberately concealed. That makes it much harder to detect than a large, obvious wildlife market. Sawfish parts can move through back channels with minimal security checks, especially if sellers are dealing with buyers who know exactly what they want.This is one reason conservationists are alarmed. If authorities do not know the scale of the problem, they cannot easily design a response. And if the trade is spread across many small transactions rather than one large network, enforcement becomes even more complicated.The study’s authors say this is why more attention is urgently needed. The danger is not only to sawfish populations today, but to the future of a species already hovering on the edge.
A conservation emergency in slow motion
Sawfish are not just rare; they are one of the most vulnerable marine groups in the world. Their slow reproduction, specialised anatomy and shrinking habitats make recovery difficult even without poaching pressure.In places like Florida, Queensland and Western Australia, sawfish protections exist for a reason: these animals can disappear quickly and are difficult to replace once lost. Yet the black market still finds value in their bodies, whether as ornaments, trophies or cockfighting spurs.That is why this story matters beyond one species. It is a reminder that wildlife crime can be hidden in unexpected places and driven by traditions or markets that rarely show up in public debate.
What needs to happen next
The researchers behind the study are calling for more attention to the trade and stronger action from authorities. Better monitoring, public awareness and enforcement could help reduce demand and make it harder for poachers to profit.There is also a cultural side to the problem. In some cockfighting communities, animal-based spurs are still valued despite the availability of cheaper synthetic alternatives. That means conservation efforts may need to focus not only on law enforcement, but on changing habits and expectations within the trade itself.Sawfish have survived for millions of years, but they now face a threat that is both old and new: human fascination with their anatomy. What was once admired in folklore is now being cut apart for illegal use, and one rostrum can generate enough money to keep the cycle going.If conservationists cannot shut down the market, the world may lose one of the ocean’s most distinctive animals to a trade most people have never heard of. That is why the warning from this study is so stark: without stronger action, a species already classed as critically endangered could keep slipping toward extinction, one sawfish at a time.
