Contact: Gordon Helm                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                        3/3/97

FISHERIES SERVICE PROPOSES LIMITED ACCESS, OTHER AMENDMENTS TO ATLANTIC SWORDFISH MANAGEMENT PLAN

To assist in the rebuilding of Atlantic swordfish stocks, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced today new management proposals designed to reduce the prospect of future increases in fishing capacity and associated bycatch of this species. The proposal, which includes a plan to restrict future access to the fishery, is based in part on recommendations by the commercial fishing industry, scientists and others interested in protecting and preserving swordfish stocks while maintaining a viable fishery.

A primary intent of this proposal is to hold commercial harvesting capacity at recent historic levels to prevent the possibility of future increased fishing efforts by fishermen who have not targeted swordfish in the past, but who currently hold permits. The number of permitted vessels that currently participate in the fishery is far less than the number of commercial permits annually issued for swordfish. "Historically, the swordfish fishery has operated under open access, but that can't continue any longer," said Rolland Schmitten, fisheries service director. "Reducing excessive harvesting capacity is a necessary tool for effective future management of this fishery." The latest scientific evidence confirms that the north Atlantic swordfish stock is overfished. Its population is estimated by scientists to be at 67 percent of its optimum level, and the average size fish landed has declined to 84 pounds compared with 266 pounds thirty years ago. Populations of swordfish along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts are now so low that a thriving recreational fishery and a commercial harpoon fishery dating from the 19th century have both been essentially eliminated.

In addition, the fisheries service is proposing several other changes to more effectively manage the fishery by:

• Issuing two types of commercial permits for the Atlantic swordfish fishery. A directed fishery permit would be issued to owners of those commercial vessels who could meet the eligibility criteria for either longline/drift gillnet or handgear. An incidental permit would be issued to all others, which would limit the bycatch of swordfish that could be landed and sold. All swordfish landed would be reported to the fisheries service to provide a basis of determining the status of the stock and enforcing quotas.

• Basing eligibility to participate in the fishery on a fisherman's past level of participation. The majority of existing commercial swordfish permit holders have not taken part in the fishery.

• Restricting the transfer of permits, establishing ownership limits and vessel upgrading restrictions are also proposals that would lead to reduction of overcapacity in the fishery.

• Continuing to regulate the Atlantic swordfish fishery by monitoring the total allowable catch as well as the minimum size restrictions as recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

To ensure that the fishing industry and the public have adequate time to assess the impact of both this swordfish proposal and a similar proposal to limit entry into the Atlantic shark fishery, the public comment period for the proposed rule on shark limited entry has been extended to coincide with the swordfish comment period.

Written comments must be received on or before April 28, 1997. Send comments to Rebecca Lent, Chief, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

NOTE: All NOAA press releases, and links to other NOAA material, can be found on the Internet at http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs. Journalists who wish to be added to our press release distribution list, or who wish to switch from fax to e-mail delivery, can send an e-mail to releases@www.rdc.noaa.gov, or fax to (202) 482-3154. NOAA constituents can send an e-mail to constaff@www.rdc.noaa.gov, or fax to (202) 501-2953.