Word on the Reef

S3 E20: The Last Saw: Saving Sawfish with Dr Barbara Wueringer

Tanya Murphy Season 3 Episode 20

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0:00 | 45:46

Sawfish, the extraordinary relatives of sharks and rays, once roamed tropical and subtropical waters around the globe. Today they've vanished from much of their former range, with Northern Australia remaining one of their last global strongholds. All five sawfish species are now listed as critically endangered, yet most Australians know surprisingly little about these remarkable animals.

So, what exactly ARE these crazy-looking critters? Are they really as scary as they look? What can we do to help ensure they continue to survive in our rivers, estuaries and coastal waters? And perhaps the most important question of all: who would win in a showdown between a sawfish and a crocodile?

Joining hosts Tanya Murphy and Brett Goodban to answer these questions is Dr Barbara Wueringer, founder, director and lead scientist at Sharks and Rays Australia.

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