Contact: Gordon Helm                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                     3/26/98

The National Marine Fisheries Service has established new minimum sizes for Atlantic blue marlin and Atlantic white marlin--two species of billfish--as part of an international commitment to reduce marlin landings by at least 25 percent, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

The 1997 recommendation by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body that recommends international fishery management measures for member countries, also is calling for improvements in current billfish monitoring, data collection, and reporting procedures.

"These needed improvements in billfish management will help us begin the rebuilding process for these highly prized recreational fish," said Rebecca Lent, chief of the Fisheries Service's highly migratory species management division. "Improved monitoring of these species, such as information collected at sportfishing tournaments, will help us to better understand both these animals, and the domestic fishing effort placed on them."

The Fisheries Service manages Atlantic billfish in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. Species included in this group include: blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus), sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), and longbill spearfish (Tetrapterus pfluegeri)

The billfish species are highly migratory and are subject to fishing pressure from many nations. The Fisheries Service works with other members of the ICCAT to implement international conservation and management measures for these species.

At its November 1997 meeting, ICCAT recommended that landings of blue marlin and white marlin be reduced by at least 25 percent (from 1996 levels) starting in 1998. Today's action by the Fisheries Service implements those recommendations for domestic fishermen.

Minimum sizes are based on the 1994-1996 size distribution of recreational landings. The minimum size limit for Atlantic blue marlin is 96 inches (measured lower jaw-fork length-LJFL), with the minimum size for Atlantic white marlin set at 66 inches (LJFL). Currently, only recreational landings are allowed for U.S. fishermen. All commercial bycatch must be released at sea. No Atlantic billfish may be purchased, bartered, traded, or sold in any state.

Atlantic blue marlin and white marlin were identified as overfished by the Fisheries Service in September 1997. Atlantic blue marlin and white marlin stocks are estimated to be at 24 percent and 23 percent, respectively, of the biomass levels needed for maximum sustainable yield. Fishery managers are developing an amendment to the Billfish Fishery Management Plan with the help of a citizen's advisory panel to implement a rebuilding program for these species. The rebuilding program will include additional conservation and management measures for all Atlantic billfish, in order to meet requirements of the recently amended Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

This regulatory action also requires mandatory registration of all Atlantic highly migratory species tournaments. Those people conducting a tournament involving score keeping or awards for Atlantic highly migratory species (whether or not retained), must register their tournament with the Fisheries Service's Southeast Fisheries Science Center: attn: "Tournament Registration", 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149. The registration must be in writing, at least four weeks prior to commencement of tournament fishing. A tournament registration form is available upon request from the above address or can be requested by FAX (305-361-4219).

Some tournament operators will be selected by Fisheries Service managers to submit a record of catch and effort to the agency. If selected, tournament operators are required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act to report the information to the Fisheries Service. Completed forms must be submitted to the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, attn: Eric Prince, postmarked not later than the seventh day after the conclusion of the tournament, and must be accompanied by a copy of the tournament rules.

For further information about the new requirements, contact Buck Sutter (813-570-5447).