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Saving the Swordfish

Americans are hooked on swordfish. But starting this month, the popular dish will no longer be served at some top restaurants. Swordfish populations are shrinking fast, especially in the North Atlantic Ocean. To draw attention to the problem, 27 U.S. chefs promised to take swordfish off their menus for at least a year.

Hundreds Of Hooks
Until the 1950s, fishermen caught swordfish mostly by harpoon. Large fish, weighing 200 to 1,200 pounds, made easy targets and ended up on dinner plates. Small fish were left in the sea to grow and reproduce.

During the 1960s, fishermen began using long lines with hundreds of hooks. These lines trap many more swordfish, including small fish and females who have not yet given birth. The result? The number of North Atlantic swordfish that can reproduce has dropped more than half since 1978.

Many nations have set limits on the number of swordfish their fishermen can take from the Atlantic. But this has not stopped some fishermen from reeling in more than their limit.

The limits are "too little too late," says environmentalist Carl Safina of the National Audubon Society. He favors a return to harpooning.

Tossing Back A Tasty Catch
Environmentalists and restaurants have teamed up to make 1998 comeback time for the swordfish. Meanwhile, the United Nations is battling the overfishing of many species by naming 1998 the International Year of the Ocean.

"We depend on the supply of fish and have a responsibility to ensure that it continues," says New York City chef Rick Moonen. He and others won't serve Atlantic swordfish and hope to educate diners on the issue.

But a swordfish comeback depends on the cooperation of more restaurants, and not everyone is ready to let the catch go. The large seafood chain Red Lobster has no plans to stop serving swordfish. And some chefs claim the swordfish boycott is unfair to U.S. fishermen.

"Why should we punish American fishermen while Spanish and Japanese fishermen continue to fish for North Atlantic swordfish of all sizes and sell them?" asked another New York City chef, Stanley Kramer.

Restoring populations of Atlantic swordfish could take up to 10 years, even if many restaurants join in. Says Lisa Speer of the Natural Resources Defense Council: "We just want to give the fish a break, so that future generations can enjoy them."

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Emptying The Sea
Swordfish aren't the only fish vanishing. Overfishing could wipe out many tasty species, from orange roughy to bluefin tuna. The amount of fish caught in the world's oceans jumped from some 20 million tons in 1950 to 90 million in 1995.

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