Contact: Gordon Helm               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                   8/28/98

The National Marine Fisheries Service has decided not to reopen the 1998 Atlantic Swordfish Pelagic Driftnet Fishery due to the large numbers of sea turtles, dolphins and whales caught during the fishery's short, 14 day season. The kill rate of whales and dolphins in this fishery is approximately twice the rate recorded in previous driftnet seasons.

Fisheries Service managers had predicted that the ten vessels from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida that primarily fish the south side of Georges Bank for swordfish would catch their 41.6 metric ton quota within the 14 day period. The fishermen managed to catch about two-thirds of the quota within that time. However, fishermen also snared 34 endangered or threatened sea turtles, including two Green, five Leatherback and 27 Loggerhead turtles along with 293 whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.

Sea turtles and some marine mammal species are protected under the Endangered Species Act. All marine mammals are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.

"Two Green sea turtles have already been taken in this fishery," said Rolland Schmitten, Fisheries Service director. "It's very likely any reopening of this fishery would result in additional sea turtle deaths."

An Incidental Take Statement in the Biological Opinion for this fishery authorized, in accordance with Section 7 of the ESA, a maximum take (kill or injury) of two Green sea turtles.

"There is also an alarmingly high number of marine mammal kills in this fishery," Schmitten added. "Preliminary observer data indicate that there were 293 marine mammals taken in 109 hauls, including 253 common dolphins and 11 beaked whales. This is nearly three marine mammals killed per haul."

The Marine Mammal Protection Act also requires the Fisheries Service to calculate the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level for each marine mammal stock that may be killed or seriously injured during fishing operations. A primary goal of the MMPA is to ensure that the level of marine mammals seriously injured or killed by commercial fishing activities is reduced to below the PBR to ensure these stocks remain healthy. In the case of common dolphins, the PBR for all fisheries is 155 animals, well below the number of animals killed in this fishery (253) as recorded by observers. In addition, the PBR of nine for beaked whales was also exceeded (11).