There are two separate runs of swordfish in these waters, one which 

 arrives in the summer season just after the first of the year and remains 

 until the end of March, and the second which appears the end of August 

 and remains until the end of October. The entire catch of these fish is ex- 

 ported by the American Company in Manta to the United States. 



It is interesting to note that swordfish have been reported in these waters 

 for many years, yet no commercial fishing for them was practiced until the 

 Wilbur-Ellis enterprise was started, owing to a native superstition. While 

 the marlin and sharks are in constant demand, the native, even today, is 

 very reluctant to eat swordfish. 



This section of Peru is the only area of commercial swordfishing. Farther 

 south, through central and southern Peru, an extensive coastal shelf is en- 

 countered, and consequently the fish are beyond the reach of the small type 

 of boats employed. Along with the deep water and the strong ocean cur- 

 rent found here, an added inducement for swordfish is a series of banks 

 northwest of Ancora. These banks have a high concentration of bottom 

 fish, which is the favorite food of the swordfish. 



The population of fish in the two schools that migrate to this area are 

 far more extensive and concentrated than any found ofl" the coast of Chile. 

 Here, a marked decrease was noted in the size of the fish. The average 

 Chilean swordfish weighs slightly in excess of 500 pounds, while the Peru- 

 vian fish will run above a 350 pound average. This difference in size be- 

 tween two areas more than 1,000 miles apart, may possibly indicate the 

 entirely separate populations of fish. 



The yearly production in this relatively small area of Peru is nearly as 

 great as that of the entire three zones of Chile previously described; in fact, 

 there were good years when it actually exceeded the production of Chile. 

 All available production figures for swordfish and tuna are given in Table 

 5. Along with the swordfish there is a large population of black and striped 

 marlin. Also a few sailfish are seen in the summer months. 



The black marlin caught here are by far the largest found in any part 

 of the world. Since the start of sport fishing at Cabo Blanco and the fairly 

 extensive harpooning of the black marlin by the sword fishermen, the av- 

 erage weight has been close to 800 pounds. During 1954, the fish were 

 exceptionally large and the average went up to 850 pounds. It is not 

 known why these fish should be so large here in comparison with other 

 black marlin populations in Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador and the 

 Gulf of Panama. It also seems odd that a small fish in the vicinity of 400 

 pounds is rarely seen here. All the world's records of black marlin fish 

 recorded in the past five years have been caught at Cabo Blanco. The 

 present record is 1560 pounds and it seems possible that the maximum size 

 may be in excess of 2,000 pounds. There have been some extremely large 



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