NMFS staff suggested in their report, without providing any supporting evidence, that if we increase domestic swordfish catch this will decrease the take of endangered leatherback sea turtles by other Pacific nations targeting swordfish. waters in order to fulfill the local demand for swordfish. At the September 2011 meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), NMFS gave a report on the California-based driftnet fishery for swordfish and made the argument that NMFS and the PFMC must explore how to allow for greater catch levels of swordfish in U.S. If, however, NMFS is going to spend valuable time and taxpayer money investigating approaches to expand commercial fishing for swordfish on the west coast, you can expect serious challenges by conservation organizations and others if those efforts are 1) not associated with the phase out and prohibition of drift gillnet gear, and 2) associated with any experimental gear that is not significantly different from the drift gillnet or pelagic longline gear that NMFS has already tried, but failed to advance in recent years. We are writing to request that NMFS end this current effort to expand a west coast based drift gillnet or pelagic longline fishery for swordfish. Further, it would be unreasonable to continue to invest in and promote efforts to develop a pelagic longline fishery for swordfish when the State of California and the Pacific Fishery Management Council have already taken actions to prohibit it due to the high levels of bycatch associated with this fishery and the take of endangered and threatened species. In this time when our country is seeking to promote sustainable industries and ecosystem-based approaches to management that protect and maintain the health and biodiversity of our oceans, it is unreasonable that NMFS continues to allow the California drift gillnet swordfish fishery to kill dolphins and sea lions, and to toss back, dead and damaged, 20 to 30 percent of its catch of fish. Schwaab: Agenda Item I.2.c Public Comment March 2013 We are disappointed that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is once again pushing to increase domestic Pacific swordfish landings and fishing effort with gears known to have high levels of bycatch. Eric Schwaab Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 RE: West Coast Swordfish Fishery Dear Mr.
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