Commercial Atlantic Swordfish Fishery Statuses, Minimum Sizes, and Bag Limits
Check if Atlantic commercial swordfish fisheries are open and review minimum sizes and retention limits by permit.
Current Requirements
Retention limits for Atlantic swordfish vary by permit type. Some permits can also have different retention limits across regions. This page is kept up to date with changing statuses and retention limits. Additional requirements may be applicable. View the HMS Commercial Compliance Guide for details.
Permits without Regionally Determined Limits
Permit Type | Fishery Status | Minimum Size | Retention Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Swordfish Directed | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | No limit |
Swordfish Incidental | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | 30/vessel/trip |
Swordfish Handgear | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | No limit |
HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | 18/vessel/trip |
Incidental HMS Squid Trawl | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | 15/vessel/trip |
Swordfish General Commercial Permit or HMS Charter/Headboat Permit with a Commercial Sale Endorsement
Region | Fishery Status | Minimum Size | Retention Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Northwest Atlantic | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | 18/vessel/trip |
U.S. Caribbean | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | 18/vessel/trip |
Gulf of America | Open | 47” lower-jaw fork length or 25” cleithrum to caudal keel | 18/vessel/trip |
Florida Swordfish Management Area | Closed | 0 | 0 |
Permit
To commercially harvest swordfish, vessel owners must obtain one of the following permits:
Swordfish Directed permit. Vessels with this permit must also have an Atlantic Tunas Longline Category and a shark limited access permits.
Swordfish Incidental permit. Vessels with this permit must also have an Atlantic Tunas Longline Category and a shark limited access permits.
Swordfish Handgear permit.
HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit, which is valid only in the U.S. Caribbean region.
Swordfish General Commercial permit.
HMS Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial sale endorsement on non-for-hire trips only.
An Incidental HMS Squid Trawl permit may be obtained by valid Illex squid moratorium permit holders.
Measurement
Measure lower-jaw fork length in a straight line from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail.
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Measure cleithrum to caudal keel length by following the curve of the fish's body from the cleithrum to the caudal keel.
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*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. On August 7, 2025, NOAA Fisheries and the National Ocean Service amended regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the renaming. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes or previously published materials.