Atlantic Swordfish Fishery: NMFS Amends Regulations to Protect Swordfish Resource

Summary

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has amended the regulations governing the Atlantic swordfish fishery, reducing the total allowable catch to 2,984 metric tons and establishing a 1996 trip limit of 31,600 pounds to protect the swordfish resource while allowing sustainable harvests, as recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).