A man from England accidentally discovers a rare sawfish measuring nearly 4 meters during a vacation in the United States.
Ian Atherton from Lancashire, England, traveled to the United States and went deep-sea fishing with friends off the coast of Florida.
On that day, Ian and his boat captain, Jon Cangianella, left Cape Canaveral to fish at a depth of about 10 meters.
The man used small fish as bait on his fishing rod. After sitting for a while, he felt a strong tug on the line, thinking he had caught a shark.
Unfortunately, Ian’s dream of catching a shark did not come true. However, he never imagined he would encounter a creature that was even rarer and more mysterious.
Ian Atherton was astonished to discover that he had hooked a rare sawfish measuring nearly 4 meters long. After a struggle lasting about an hour, he managed to bring the fish aboard. The fish had an elongated snout with many sharp, horizontal teeth. After taking some photos for memories, Ian Atherton released the fish back into the wild.
This species can grow up to 7 meters long.
Jon Cangianella stated: “I have been fishing for 17 years, and in all those years, I have only seen sawfish twice, with the last one I caught being in August of last year.”
This species can grow up to 7 meters long, characterized by a protruding snout that resembles a saw, which can be up to 1.5 meters long. They are listed as endangered due to overfishing. Sawfish are often targeted for their fins, teeth, and saws, which are used in pharmaceutical products.
Last year, in August 2021, Captain Parker Miley also discovered a giant sawfish in the same area of Florida. Meanwhile, an angler in Brevard encountered a healthy sawfish in early 2021.
Sawfish often get caught in the nets of deep-sea fishermen. Since the early 1900s, sawfish populations have significantly declined. They became the first marine fish species listed as endangered in 2003. The last remaining strongholds are in Northern Australia and Florida, USA. Generally, they are harmless to humans but can cause serious injuries if one accidentally comes into contact with their sharp teeth.
