Sharks And Rays Australia

31/08/2026

One common method in fishing and in research is called gill netting.
It got its name because wildlife swim into the nets and are entangled by the gills, fins and spines.

Methods using these nets are adapted for scientific use and can catch non-target species. These animals will still be measured, and data will be recorded before being released safely.

All animals are handled under approved ethics permits with PPE (e.g. gloves) and are removed from the nets as quickly but carefully as possible to avoid stress or injury to the animal (and the researchers 👀🐊).

100% nylon netting with rope and floaters on the top and weights on the bottom to keep it in position. Once the nets can no longer be used, they are donated to for recycling!

30/08/2026

Well that’s a cool image!! Don’t forget to report your sawfish sighting to www.cytags.com please! Maybe we can use turtles as scale bars? 🤭

An otherworldly image has taken out the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 🏆

Photographer Matt Deakin captured Ethereal Encounter in the Pilbara, with the sawfish emerging from the mist alongside a turtle.

Visit the exhibition at the South Australian Museum from today to see the full gallery of winners and shortlisted images.

🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4xvY3PA
From Miles Away

28/08/2026

Sawfish populations are declining globally, and so is their genetic diversity.

🌎 We’re proud to be part of a global team of researchers behind a new study uncovering the genetic history of the Critically Endangered largetooth* sawfish (Pristis pristis). These are the first results from DNA collected from saws we have sampled.

🧬 Using DNA from historical specimens dating back to 1878, researchers compared past and present genetic diversity. Out of 35 genetic variants identified in historical samples, only six remain in contemporary populations.

📉 Most of the lost genetic variants were from the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, regions where largetooth sawfish populations have experienced severe declines and are facing ongoing genetic erosion. However, there is some encouraging news from Australia, genetic diversity appears to have remained stable since the 1960s.

This research highlights why conservation isn't just about protecting the number of animals that remain. Protecting the genetic diversity within those populations is critical for the long-term survival of the species.

Read the full paper to discover what historical DNA can tell us about today’s sawfish populations and their future 🦈

Open access link: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2076/20261044/482685/The-secret-of-the-saws-historical-DNA-analysis?fbclid=IwY2xjawT8rapwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXVUWXRJZzM0czRZWXhuRmNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeVLYBQfRJfzhyMneqYVQsBe0bCQXBAIGs9_RoLr9m1DhYOOxqMziXG5nHIhU_aem_unILiHEXT-US7SpmfgDNdw

If you see a sawfish, you can help conservation efforts by reporting your sightings to cytags.com

*Also referred to as the freshwater sawfish

20/08/2026

If you are new to our organisation, welcome! 🦈

We recommend listening to our founder Dr Barbara Wueringer talk on Wild Chats with the Australian Wildlife Education. This is a great place to start for those wishing to uncover more about our foundations as an organisation, and insight into Sawfish as a species. 🎧

You can listen on Spotify via:
Australian Wildlife Education- Wild Chats
‘Sawfish with Barbara Wueringer’

Let us know in the comments your elasmobranch podcast episode recommendations! 👇

17/08/2026

Help protect sawfish by reporting your sighting! 🌊

If you see a sawfish, whether it's alive, accidentally caught, tagged, or even a preserved saw, we'd love to hear from you.

Every report helps us learn more about these critically endangered animals and supports their conservation.

📸 We love this submission from Jackson, who caught a juvenile sawfish in the Gulf of Carpentaria back in December 2019. It is Always great to see them being respectfully released unharmed.

Report your sighting here: https://www.sharksandraysaustralia.com/report-your-sighting/

Thank you!

12/08/2026

National Science Week starts this weekend with a bang at the ‘STEM in the tropics’ event in the Cairns Botanical Gardens! 🌴👩🏻‍🔬

Sharks and Rays Australia will be there, ready to showcase our work and answer your questions!

This a free event, which features inspiring speakers and is packed with hands-on activities relating to conservation, eco-tourism, innovative local businesses and Indigenous knowledges.

These pics are from previous Ecofiesta events which we always have a blast at, you can expect a similar set up to this!

(Credit to National Science Week for the icon on the second slide).

10/08/2026

Throwing it back to September 2022, when we held an evening focused on sawfish at the Port Stewart Community Centre with the Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and SCF Australia.

It was a great opportunity to share knowledge and discuss the importance of protecting these remarkable animals.

This program was proudly funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

02/08/2026

Every tag tells a story and helps protect a sawfish. 📡

We’re heading back out into the field to find more sawfish, but to track where these vulnerable sharks and rays travel, we need your help fitting them with satellite tags.

🎯 The Goal: $3,000 AUD per satellite tag (includes tag + transmission fees).
When you fund a tag, you’re not just buying tech, you’re directly funding the data needed to secure real habitat protection in Far North Queensland.

How you can support:
1️⃣ Sponsor a full tag ($3,000 AUD): Leave a lasting legacy for conservation.
2️⃣ Donate what you can: Pitch in $50, $100, or $250 toward our current tag goal!

Video details:
Lama Lama Expedition | Sept 2022
👥 Collaborators: Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation & SCF Australia
💚 Funded by: Great Barrier Reef Foundation Great Barrier Reef Foundation
📹 Video: Kieran Tunbridge

australia rays donate

02/08/2026