Swordfish worries

The swordfish now ranks as one of the Mediterranean's most vulnerable species, the EU announced last month, proposing new measures to protect diminishing stocks. As well as continuing a swordfish fishing ban for two consecutive months each year — October and November this year — the EU wants to prevent the 'by-catch' of swordfish by vessels that are supposed to be fishing for other species. This should lead to the improved protection of juvenile swordfish, it said, while other elements of the proposal aimed to bolster the collection of data on the total swordfish stock. The proposals were presented at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) at their meeting in Recife, Brazil. " Swordfish have recently been subject to high mortality, due to either direct commercial fishing or to incidental catches in other fishing operations, " the European Commission said. The commission said in a statement that it hoped ICCAT would back its proposals and help " better protect one of the most vulnerable and symbolic species in the Mediterranean. " Swordfish can grow up to 4.5 metres long and weigh up to 650 kg, and are a prime fishing target because of their popularity in restaurants worldwide. The fish can swim up to 80 kph, but that has not prevented them from becoming a target for fast fishing vessels with vast, closely meshed nets. The EU believes that new measures for improved monitoring of fishing activity in the Mediterranean and for gathering of better data will help ICCAT's scientists to better evaluate the state of the stock with more reliable scientific advice on additional management measures during 2010. Further changes would lead to better protection of juvenile swordfish, the EU said. " The proposal presented addresses concerns expressed by ICCAT members and by numerous environmental organisations, as well as the European fishing sector itself, " the EU said. " It represents significant progress from last year's rules and shows that the EU is committed to ensuring that conservation measures for Mediterranean swordfish be improved. " But ICCAT has failed to win over many conservationists. Researchers are increasingly concerned about the fate of the much-prized bluefin tuna. ICCAT cut the fishing limit next year of the eastern bluefin from 19,500 tonnes to 13,500 tonnes. But a key study presented to ICCAT in Recife showed even a strictly enforced 8,000 tonne quota would have only a 50 …