KARACHI: Critically endangered large bowhead guitarfish, locally known as ‘Koh Baradari’ or ‘Bhuth-khair’, was caught in Gwadar’s East Bay at a depth of 30 metres.

The World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) said in a statement on Monday that the specimen caught measured 140 cm (4.59 feet) and weighed more than 65 kilogrammes.

“This species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is included in Appendix II of CITES, prohibiting international trade due to the high risk of extinction. Global populations have declined by over 80 per cent in the past 45 years, mainly due to intense fishing pressure, and the species has nearly disappeared from commercial landings,” it said.

“WWF-Pakistan has been working with fishing communities since 2013 to encourage the safe release of entangled guitarfish. Despite these efforts, enforcement remains a challenge, highlighting the urgent need to raise awareness among stakeholders to ensure the survival of this critically endangered elasmobranch,” the statement added.

Bowhead guitarfish inhabit warm temperate and tropical inshore continental seas, generally not deeper than 400 metres. Historically, they were landed year-round in Pakistan, with peaks from January to March and again in May and September, but catches have declined sharply over the past 15 years.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026