Sawfish, with toothed snouts, win UN trade ban

THE HAGUE, June 11 (Reuters) A UN wildlife conference imposed a trade ban today on sawfish, a shark-like fish which brandishes a sharp toothed snout, to help stave off extinction.

The vote at the Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) made an exemption to let Australia export one of seven species of the fish to aquariums abroad. Australia exports up to 10 live sawfish every year.

Sawfish are found in tropical waters around the world but numbers have tumbled because of over-fishing -- saws up to 2 metres long are prized as trophies and their fins are eaten in shark fin soup.

CITES, one arm in a fight to slow a catastrophic decline in species worldwide because of threats such as destruction of habitats and climate change, voted by 67-30 to ban international trade in line with a US-Kenyan proposal.

All sawfish are rated ''critically endangered'' on a Red List of species compiled by experts of the World Conservation Union.

Growing up to 7 metres long, sawfish are a type of ray, related to sharks.

''Artisanal fisherman could retire after catching one sawfish,'' said Dorothy Nyingi, a Kenyan delegate.

She said the fins could fetch 443 dollars a kg and that the toothy saws, which the fish use to attack and slice up smaller fish, could cost 1,450 dollars each. The saws were often exported to Japan, South Korea, Spain and Italy, she said.

Australia won an exemption by arguing that its exports of live sawfish to aquariums would raise awareness of the fish abroad and contribute overall to conservation. Australia is the only country to export live sawfish.

''Sawfish in public aquaria help raise public awareness about a rare and iconic species found primarily in remote locations that are inaccessible to most,'' Australian delegate Kerry Smith told the conference.

REUTERS KK RAI1924