'Save the Sawfish' campaign set for launch

Acclaimed artist and marine scientist Dr Guy Harvey will kick off the "Save the Sawfish" campaign on 2 June, at the exclusive MG on the Halifax in the Daytona Beach area.

The international campaign, to be run by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Florida Museum of Natural History, aims to preserve the future of the sawfish.

To launch the effort Dr Harvey will unveil an original painting of the endangered species, “Stirring up Trouble”, for the event’s live auction. Proceeds benefit sawfish research conducted by George Burgess, who is widely known for his pioneering work as director of the Florida Program for Shark Research.

Dr Harvey said: “There’s more reason now than ever to find out how many sawfish are left, what they do and how they fill their niche - and more importantly, to conserve them.

“There’s nothing else like this animal in our marine ecosystem, yet they are very few and far between. This is an adventurous effort.”

Sawfish get their name from their "saws" - long, flat snouts edged with pairs of teeth. Similar to sharks in appearance, sawfish are actually bottom-dwelling rays that can grow to more than 20 feet long. Once common in the Atlantic and the Gulf, only a few survive today. As one of the most threatened species of marine life, it was the first US marine fish to be listed as endangered by the federal government in 2003.

For more information, visit www.savethesawfish.com.

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