Canada: Nova Scotia’s swordfish harpoon fleet urged to bring tourists aboard to boost troubled sector

HALIFAX — An environmental group says Nova Scotia’s commercial swordfish fleet could generate millions in added revenue by bringing tourists along for fishing trips and using different gear. The Ecology Action Centre says swordfish harpooning — lunging a long spear into the water to catch a fish — has become increasingly difficult and less economically viable because swordfish are appearing less often at the surface due to changing water conditions. In a report released Wednesday, the centre says changing ocean conditions are preventing fishers who use the traditional fishing method from fulfilling their already small swordfish quotas. The group's solution is for the harpoon fleet to start using a single deepwater hook and line — called rod and reel gear — and to charge tourists to come aboard for a "once-in-a-lifetime experience." Dale Richardson, president of the Nova Scotia Swordfish Harpoon Quota Society and a fisher in the harpoon fishery for over 20 years, said rising ocean ...