Sawfish Research

Chevron provided funding to WAMSI to research measures that remove barriers to sawfish migration in riverine habitats and to recommend measures to protect sawfish populations.

Globally, no fishways had been constructed specially for sawfish, and there were no fishways operating in sawfish habitats in WA.

Aims

Part of the study was to determine the swimming performance of sawfish to generate hydrological thresholds to ensure that construction of any fishway would enable passage. The results of this study determined if the design and installation of fishways is a preferred option for achieving the objectives to EPBC 2008/4469 Condition 66d.

Pending the results and recommendations of this study, Chevron was also to fund the design, fit or retrofitting of five sawfish-appropriate fishways or alternative measures to remove barriers to sawfish passage in riverine habitat in the Pilbara and/or Kimberley regions.