Publish, then perish? Five years on, sawfishes are still at risk in Bangladesh

Abstract Sawfishes are highly threatened globally, and current data on their conservation status in the Indian Ocean are limited. A baseline study conducted in 2011–2012 revealed that at least two species of sawfish were still present in Bangladeshi waters and highlighted several important steps that could be taken to prevent populations from further decline. Regular visits to landing sites in the south‐eastern coastal region of Bangladesh were conducted to collect data on sawfish landings. A telephone reporting system was developed amongst shark traders and fishers, to facilitate immediate reporting of sawfish landings. Between 15 October 2016 and 26 December 2017, landings of 25 sawfishes were documented, of which at least 17 were largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis . No evidence of…