More Trophy Swordfish to come from the Gulf of Mexico

Released on = October 21, 2006, 2:07 am

Press Release Author = Sharon Swann, www.OrangeBeach.ws

Industry = Environment

Press Release Summary = A record breaking 448 lb swordfish was caught in the Gulf of
Mexico on 9/16/06 in Orange Beach, AL. Why are these trophy size swordfish now being
caught in the northern Gulf? Due to conservation efforts and bans on longlining,
there has been a dramatic increased abundance of large swordfish. Swordfishing has
become the hottest trend in recreational fishing on the Gulf of Mexico.

Press Release Body = According to Captain Randy \"Goat Roper\" Howland of the Sea
Reaper III, the fish was caught about 70 miles southwest of Orange Beach (due south
of Mobile) and about 50 miles west of the edge of the DeSoto Canyon, the
Mississippi-Alabama-West Florida continental shelf. The weigh-in took place at
Orange Beach Marina by Harbor Master, Capt. Jim Beason.

Capt. Beason started swordfishing in the 70's. \"A lot of people don't know that we
have swordfish here in the gulf\", he says. \"It used to be that nobody went fishing
for them. Since the longline ban, there are more swordfish than ever here. People
don't realize it, but you could catch a swordfish every single night, year round.\"

This year was the third year for the Orange Beach Swordfish Classic, a one day
tournament. \"Each year the winning fish gets bigger and bigger\", says Capt. Beason.
He expects that will continue with the ban on longlining still in place.

Bryan Bennett of J&M Tackle in Orange Beach says \"Swordfishing used to be an
afterthought; now, you not only hope but expect to get a bite.\" The equipment used
in swordfishing - 50 class rod & reel or better, jumbo squid, Hydro Glow fluorescent
green light to attract squid to the boat, and a chemical light stick or battery
operated incandescent bulb attached to the line - \"was a small part of our business.
Sales related to swordfishing have increased a hundred-fold over the last three
years\", Bryan says.

So, why now?

November 1, 2000, the US implemented a ban on its longline fishing in the DeSoto
Canyon area in the Gulf of Mexico. It also implemented a year round ban in an area
along the east coast of Florida and has closed an area off Georgia, South Carolina,
and a portion of North Carolina (Charleston Bump) to longline gear during February
through April. Considering the highly migratory nature of the swordfish, this is
good news for the sport fishing industry in Orange Beach.

What is longlining? According to the International Big Fish Network (IBFN),
longlining involves setting out thousands of baited hooks attached to a single line
over miles of ocean. Longlines are a type of commercial fishing gear used to target
swordfish and tuna but which also take a large bycatch of undersized fish and
non-target species that are discarded dead at sea. Species discarded by longline
gear include blue and white marlin, sailfish, sharks, endangered sea turtles, birds,
marine mammals, and undersize swordfish. The effect of the longlining ban is a
dramatic recovery and increased abundance of swordfish and other species.

The swordfish spawns all year long in the relatively warm waters of the Gulf of
Mexico, as opposed to seasonal spawning in colder waters. The average life span of
the swordfish that are caught in the Gulf is at least nine years (data on life span
is very limited). It has now been seven years since the ban on longlining. Do the
math - we should continue to see trophy size swordfish caught by sports fishermen
out of Orange Beach as long as the ban on longlining is maintained.

The future for recreational & tournament swordfishing in the Gulf of Mexico should
prove to be very exciting indeed.

Report Your Catch

Don't forget to report your catch to the National Marine Fisheries Service. The
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) establishes a
catch quota for all member nations. According to Ellen Peel, president of The
Billfish Foundation, \"International allocations are reevaluated based on catch
history. No catch history, no catch.\" Since the 1990's, the US has not reached its
quota and a representative from the Marine Fisheries is convinced this is, to some
degree, due to under-reporting. If the US does not catch its quota of swordfish, its
share could be redistributed to another nation. This is why it is important that
every non-tournament, recreational swordfish catch - no matter what the size - be
reported to the National Marine Fisheries Service info line at 800-894-5528 within
24 hours of the catch.

To learn more about ICCAT, visit www.iccat.es

To learn more about The Billfish Foundation (celebrating its 20th anniversary this
month) visit www.billfish.org

To learn more about the National Coalition for Marine Conservation, visit
www.savethefish.org

To read the story and see photos of the 448 lb. record breaking swordfish, visit
www.OrangeBeach.ws.

###



Web Site = http://www.OrangeBeach.ws

Contact Details = Sharon Swann
Sharon@OrangeBeach.ws
25405 Perdido Beach Blvd., #21-222
Orange Beach, AL 36561
251-981-4455

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