President Obama recently signed the Billfish Conservation Act into law (Oct. 6, 2012),  which legislation, effectively banning the commercial importation of all billfish into the continental United States. The bill H.R. 2706 was sponsored by a Bi partison group of Senators, and Congressmen including the Co chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, Representative Jeff Miller, (R. Florida). The support of the Billfish Conservation Act by groups like the IGFA, the American Sportfishing Association, the Center for Coastal Conservation, the Coastal Conservation Association, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Keep America Fishing, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and  many  organizations and individuals in the environmental community who played a major role in the bill’s success.

The legislation prohibits the commercial sale & importation of all billfish (marlin, sailfish and spearfish) in within the continental United States, but still allows for harvesting in traditional fisheries of the State of Hawaii and the Pacific Insular Area. Swordfish are not included in the prohibition.