Gulf Swordfishing Lets get EM

[Jared Chasteen]

Here is a post from Dave Nieland, and LSU professor about the meeting regarding swordfish management. Wacker lets hope for good weather next weekend so we can contribute to the quota. Here is a number to report your catches. If we dont report catches NMFS has no way of knowing how many pounds have been taken. So dont feel bad and poon a swordy today. I know this if agulf topic but thought you guys might be interested.


For the last three days I have been attending a meeting of the NMFS Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel in Washington, DC. Chief among the topics of discussion was swordfish and swordfish fisheries; the news is very good and not quite as good, respectively. For those of you interested in catching a sword or two out in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana, I would encourage you both to do so and to keep what regulations at the time allow. Recent assessment of swordfish populations in U. S. waters by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has shown that our swordfish stocks are almost fully rebuilt. Current biomass is 99% of that estimated for maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and fishing mortality is 86% of that necessary to maintain MSY. Swordfish are neither overfished nor are they undergoing overfishing.

With our allotted quota of swordfish (set by ICCAT) for 2007 and with the unharvested portion from our 2006 quota, the combined commercial and recreational fisheries in the U. S. need to harvest about 6000 metrics tons (13 million pounds) of swordfish this year. The not quite as good news is that our current commercial and recreational fleets probably do not have the capacity to catch that much swordfish. Should we once again fail to harvest our total quota (as has occurred repeatedly in recent years), ICCAT may be inclined to severely reduce our swordfish quota and to transfer this poundage to other countries. This would result in fewer swords available for us to harvest and enjoy and in freezer vessels from Central and South American countries fishing swords at the edges of our 100-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. These vessels are largely unregulated and generally show little regard for conservation of both protected species (white marlin and turtles) and non-target species (tunas and other billfishes); discard mortality could be very high. The bluewater recreational fisheries in the northern Gulf would certainly be adversely impacted by this!

So don’t feel guilty about catching and keeping swordfish. The current possession limit for swords will probably soon be liberalized to 1 per person and a maximum of 6 per boat for charterboats (even more on headboats) and 1 per person and a maximum of 4 per boat for private boats. Be sure to check the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council website (Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council) for current bag, size, permitting, and reporting regulations. Good luck! See you at the cleaning table!!

Dave Nieland
Manager – Research and Planning
Louisiana Sea Grant College Program
Louisiana State University

[quack quack]

our EEZ is 200 miles not 100 but good report.

[LIGHTS OUT]

Thanks for the info. J.C..

[Gaitor]

Two things jump out at me here:
1. For those who haven't been ... start reporting your catches!
2. Until the posession limit changes ... don't be afraid to keep a legal "Pup".

Looks like whatever happens, it's not going to be good for the swordfish population.

[Uncle Buck]

I wonder what the swordfish population would be like... if political economics didn't get in the way of realistic fisheries management?

[quack quack]

Originally Posted by Uncle Buck

I wonder what the swordfish population would be like... if political economics didn't get in the way of realistic fisheries management?

[miamiangler1]

If to swordfish stocks are almost fully rebuilt ,,where are all of the 300,400, 500 and 600+ LBS swords ????

[Disco Lady]

On the Catch 22 deck CONO!!!!!!!!!!!

[Disco Lady]

Keep reporting your fish and we will really get F#@k.

[LIGHTS OUT]

Originally Posted by Disco Lady

Keep reporting your fish and we will really get F#@k.

Why do you say that?

[Disco Lady]

I have my reasons.all do respects to you all.

[Disco Lady]

They will wipe them out just like the 70s watch.

[LIGHTS OUT]

Let's hope not.
My original thinking was just that. "If we report more fish, we are just supporting the argument that the stock has recovered." Now my understanding is that this is not the case. Not reporting any of our fish can/will result in an even worse scenario. Is this or is this not the case?
Can anybody fill in the blanks?

[Disco Lady]

L/O

[LIGHTS OUT]

CONO!!!

[LIGHTS OUT]

CONO!!!

[Disco Lady]

CONO!!!!!!! thanks brother...... will see what happens! :toast :

[Uncle Buck]

Originally Posted by LIGHTS OUT

Let's hope not.
My original thinking was just that. "If we report more fish, we are just supporting the argument that the stock has recovered." Now my understanding is that this is not the case. Not reporting any of our fish can/will result in an even worse scenario. Is this or is this not the case?
Can anybody fill in the blanks?

It's got nothing to do with conservation. It's politics. If the US doesn't catch our part of the quota (whether the fish are there or not), percentages of the US quota will be given to other countries, who WILL do whatever possible to catch their new allowance. Regardless of consequences.

[Disco Lady]

CONO!!!!! you all are great. Keep up the good work, but remember I saw it so good back then. I wish I had pictures of the animals I caught in the 70s.

[Disco Lady]

U/B CONO!!!!!!!!