| During the last five years, the local swordfish (Xiphias gladius) longline fishery has experienced rapid growth and development. The longline catches reached more than 2,300 t in 1997. Responsibility for collecting data on Réunion fisheries for submission to FAO lies with the local fisheries office “Direction Départementale des Affaires Maritimes” (DDAM). Moreover, since 1993, IFREMER has been collecting and compiling scientific and technical information on longline fisheries operating in the French EEZ and international waters. Data are collected from voluntary maintenance of logbooks thanks to regular at-sea and landing samplings, as well as on-board scientific observers. This paper presents the characteristics of this new longline fishery, describes the... |
