Comment from Tim (David T.) Malley

As an owner/operator of an Atlantic Pelagic Longliner as well as an owner of a Boston-based seafood wholesale company, I support this proposed rule and the opportunity it will afford to West Coast interests to broaden this fishery. Until now this healthy resource has been off limits to West Coast fishermen because of arbitrary and unnecessary limits placed on gear types. While no species specific quota has been set for swordfish at this time, it will happen eventually just as it has in the Atlantic; when that time comes the US may wish it had more history to support a claim of a significant portion of such a quota, especially in the Eastern Pacific. At the same time I think it is prudent to require the use of circle hooks and other non-target species avoidance measures such as we use in the Atlantic. My only concern with this rule is the reference to the a single vessel being “the only entity affected by this rule; I think it would be unwise to suggest that this program could not be expanded on to provide the opportunity for any US fisherman to be a part of this developing fishery. Tim Malley F/V Iron Maiden CEO, Boston Sword and Tuna, Inc.