NCMC Conservation News - NCMC launches new campaign to ban the sale of Pacific billfish, Give Pacific Billfish a Break

NCMC LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO BAN THE SALE
OF PACIFIC BILLFISH

"Give Pacific Billfish a Break"

4/07 Federal law has made it illegal since 1989 to sell overfished Atlantic billfish - white marlin, Atlantic blue marlin and sailfish. The regulations exclusively reserve billfish for the highly valuable recreational fishery because nearly all fish are released alive.

For the same reason, California outlawed the sale of striped marlin many decades ago. And yet, marlin caught in the Pacific can enter US markets, creating an enforcement problem - namely, a black market for illegal Atlantic-origin fish - undermining conservation of the Atlantic fishery. On top of that, a continued US market for billfish places additional pressure on Pacific stocks that are subject to uncontrolled fishing.

Although the status of Pacific billfishes isn't well known, NOAA Fisheries biologists say blue marlin are probably under as much fishing pressure as they can stand. In fact, given that the conditions are so similar to the Atlantic - most Pacific billfish are caught and killed as bycatch by large and expanding international fleets of longliners - there is good reason to believe they may be overfished.

Longline-caught marlin in the central and eastern Pacific are taken both for local markets and for export, many to the United States. The paper trail required of restaurants selling marlin - to prove the fish are from the Pacific - indicates movement through Central and Latin America to points of entry in Texas, Florida and elsewhere.

The National Coalition for Marine Conservation believes the biggest contribution the US can make to conserving Pacific billfish at this time - in addition to seeking international fishing agreements - is to close our markets.

NCMC's PLAN OF ACTION

NCMC is joining with other national and regional fish conservation groups to --

carry out an educational and grassroots campaign to raise awareness of the threat of the continued commercial sale of Pacific billfish, and
prohibit the importation and sale of Pacific marlin and sailfish within the United States.

Read the latest update on NCMC's efforts to keep longlines out of US Pacific waters.

Read more on striped marlin in the Pacific.