Atlantic Swordfish Landings Update Through May 31, 2017: Commercial and Recreational
January 1 - May 31, 2017 (posted June 23, 2017)
The table below provides preliminary landings estimates and remaining quotas as of May 31, 2017, for the Atlantic swordfish fisheries for the 2017 fishing year. We estimate landings using commercial dealer reports and reports by anglers in the HMS Non-Tournament Recreational Swordfish and Billfish Landings Database and the Recreational Billfish Survey. Please note that these estimates are subject to late reporting and do not include discards. Totals are reported in metric tons (mt) dressed weight (dw); 1 mt is equal to 2,204.6 pounds.
The 2017 annual directed landings quota seen below has not been adjusted for 2016 underharvests and does not include the reserve category allocation or international quota transfers. NMFS is currently working on adjusting the 2017 base quotas for these factors based on recommendations from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
North Atlantic Swordfish
|
|
|
2017 Landings |
Percent of 2017 Baseline Quota Taken (2017 Baseline Quota) |
Percent of 2017 Adjusted Quota Taken |
2016 Landings During the Same Time Period |
|
Directed Fishery1 |
Jan 1 – June 30 |
346.43 |
26.3 % |
N/A |
410.1 |
|
July 1 - Dec 31 |
0.0 |
0.0 % |
N/A |
0.0 |
|
|
Incidental Fishery2 |
Commercial Landings |
2.8 |
3.5 % |
N/A |
5.7 |
|
Recreational Landings |
7.7 |
5.1 |
|||
|
Total |
|
356.9 |
12.1 % |
N/A |
420.9 |
- Annual directed quota split equally into two 6 month seasons (baseline: 1,318.8 mt dw per season); contains landings reported by vessels with a directed swordfish limited access permit, handgear swordfish limited access permit, swordfish general commercial permit, HMS commercial Caribbean small boat permit, or HMS charter/headboat permit (when on a non for-hire trip).
- Recreational landings (HMS angling permit or HMS charter/headboat permit when on a for-hire trip) and commercial landings by incidental swordfish limited access and incidental HMS squid trawl permit holders count toward the annual incidental quota.
- The landings estimates have been revised due to the discovery and removal of duplicate records. The cause has been rectified.
South Atlantic Swordfish
|
2017 Landings (mt dw) |
Percent of 2017 Baseline Quota Taken |
Percent of 2017 Adjusted Quota Taken |
2016 Landings During the Same Time Period |
|
| Directed Fishery (annual quota) |
0.0 |
0.0 % |
0.0 % |
0.0 |
This notice is a courtesy to Atlantic swordfish fishery interests to keep you informed about the fishery. Official notice of federal fishery actions is made through filing such notice with the Office of the Federal Register. For previous landings updates, please visit the Swordfish page, or contact Steve Durkee at (202) 670-6637.
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