■138- 



The sail fish data, like the swordfish data, indicate the 

 stock has not been affected by fishing. The potential yield for sail fish 

 is probably much higher than the maximum annual catch taken thus far. 



III.B.3. Results of Yield-per-Recruit Analysis 

 None available. 



III.B.4. Results of Spawner/Recruitment Analysis 

 None available. 



III.B.5. Results of Other Analyses/Simulations 

 None available. 



III.C. Current Evaluation of Stocks and the Fishery 



Because of deficiencies in estimates of total catch for Indian 

 Ocean bill fishes, the results of the production model analyses given above 

 should be considered tentative. However, the substantial decline in catch- 

 per-unit-effort for blue marl in and black marl in since the inception of the 

 longline fishery suggests that no significant increases in total yield can 

 be expected for these stocks. The potential for increased striped marl in 

 yields appears to be somewhat greater; the stocks of swordfish and sail fish 

 do not appear to have been appreciably affected by the effort expended to 

 date. 



IV. STATUS OF CURRENT RESEARCH NEEDS AND EFFORTS 

 IV. A. Major Research Problems 



Better assessments of the status of Indian Ocean bill fishes are 

 needed which will require considerable improvements in fishery statistics. 

 Steps should be taken to correct deficiencies in species identification and 

 to provide for the acquisition' of catch data by species. 



