TBF Swordfish Data Represented at ICCAT Meeting

Through its 30-year old tagging program, supported by 190,000 voluntary angler-reported tag reports from around the world, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) assists scientists in gaining a better understanding of billfish’s life history characteristics, including growth, reproduction, yearly movement and survival.  Rare is it to receive tagging data from the Mediterranean Sea, but recent tagging by captsins Rudy and Samuel Urbain provided such a surprise. In March, Drs. Folio Garibaldi and George Stirpes presented swordfish tagging data at a meeting of the Swordfish Species Group, within the International Commission on the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) to help gain a better

2020 Billfish Recaptures Update

The most important data received through TBF’s Tag & Release Program is recapture data. A recapture occurs when a tagged billfish is caught by a second angler subsequent to the tagging and release of a fish. Recapture data contributes toward gaining a better understanding of the species age and growth rates by comparing the reported estimated weight at the time of tagging with the estimated weight upon recapture with consideration given to the amount of time between the two events.  Recapture data also contributes to understanding a species possible site or area fidelity, if tagged and recaptured in the

Non-Longline Fisheries Should Be Allocated More Swordfish

All non-longline swordfish fisheries are required to use handgear – handline, harpoon, commercial rod and reel, green-stick and bandit gear. Handgear takes far less bycatch than does pelagic longline gear, much of the time it takes none making the fisheries cleaner and sustainable. Increasing landing limits to these fisheries makes sense, whereas allowing pelagic longlines back into the Closed Zones to fish for swordfish does not. Increasing swordfish retention limits to handgear fisheries was the focus of a NOAA phone meeting that The Billfish Foundation (TBF) staff members recently joined. The government’s first presented Preferred Alternative is for vessels

TBF Cautions Caribbean Swordfish Retention Expansion

Representatives from The Billfish Foundation attended a recent meeting with NOAA in which a swordfish retention expansion was discussed in the Caribbean. This proposed expansion applies to vessels in USVI and Puerto Rico with an (HMS) Commercial Caribbean Small Boat (CCSB) permit, Swordfish General Commercial permit, or HMS Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial endorsement on a non-for hire trip. The expansion of swordfish retention was proposed at levels ranging from zero to eighteen swordfish retained per vessel per trip. We believe that only the most conservative expansion (up to six fish per vessel) should be considered or authorized

NOAA Increases Commercial Swordfish Retention

NOAA Fisheries is doubling the number of swordfish allowed to be harvested by commercial fisheries. These expanded retention limits apply to vessels issued a Swordfish General Commercial permit or an Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial endorsement when on a non-for-hire trip. Fortunately, commercial swordfish harvest is still prohibited in the Florida Swordfish Management Area. However, this new expansion may significantly affect swordfish stocks in all other NOAA Management Areas. This massive expansion of the commercial quota comes as no surprise. NOAA Fisheries has been pushing to expand the harvest of commercially important species in order to bolster

Atlantic Billfish, Swordfish, and Tunas Landings Update

NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Atlantic swordfish, billfish, and tunas, including bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, and albacore. This update include all landings between January 1st and March 31st of 2020. The 250-fish recreational Atlantic billfish quota includes landings of blue marlin, white marlin, and roundscale spearfish. As of March 31, 2020, no Atlantic billfish had been landed that are counted in the quota. However, five Atlantic sailfish have been landed, but these fish will not be counted in the 250-fish quota. Swordfish landing is up in in 2020 as compared to 2019. Between January 1st and March 31st

2019 Conservation Record

The Billfish Foundation’s Tag & Release Program. We received over 11,000 new tag, release, and recapture records for billfish and tunas. These data are used by researchers and management organizations across the globe, helping us learn more about these great fish and how best to conserve them. Below is a link to a PDF of the final 2019 Conservation Record, including black marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, spearfish, striped marlin, swordfish, white marlin, bluefin tuna, and yellowfin tuna. 2019 Conservation Record Final This feat of citizen science would not be possible without the generous support of our Tag &

2019 Conservation Record: Swordfish

The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with over 260,000 records. In 2019 alone, over 11,000 new tag, release, and recapture records were added to this database, representing an enormous amount of data to help us learn more about billfish life history. Of these over 11,000 new records in 2019, 304 were of swordfish, including 13 swordfish recaptures. 17.3% of swordfish were released without tags, while 82.7% were tagged. To learn more about how to identify a swordfish, check out our youtube channel! A total of 224 swordfish were tagged

Swordfish and Tunas Landings Update

NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Northern Atlantic swordfish and tunas, including bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, and northern albacore. This update includes all landings of these species from January 1 to January 31, 2020. Commercial swordfish intentional landings are generally on par with this time last year. However, commercial bycatch and recreational intentional landing of swordfish are up. However, these numbers are still very low. Northern Atlantic swordfish have two separate quotas. The commercial intentional fishery is allowed 1,318.8 mt dw of swordfish per year. The recreational fishery shares it’s quota with commercial bycatch and is limited to only

NMFS Removes Weak Hook Requirement

The 2011 required year-round use of weak hooks (15/0 carbon vs 16/0 steel for regularly used hook) by pelagic longline vessels fishing in the Gulf of Mexico was for 12 months, but it is now reduced to 6 months (Jan. – June). Longline hooked large bluefin tuna and blue marlin often broke off the weak hooks, reducing bycatch mortality, but a greater number of both white marlin and blue marlin were hooked.  The weak hook research indicates that most marlin were released within 5 minutes. In 2011, 175 white marlin were reported hooked by pelagic longline gear rigged