Bermuda should consider fishing for swordfish in the Island's waters to fully exploit the commercial potential, a US Government marine expert has said.

Dennis Weidner, foreign affairs officer at the National Marine Fisheries Service, points out that foreign fishermen from Canada, Taiwan and the United States, are already interested.

Mr. Weidner stresses that as a US Government employee he cannot make recommendations to Bermuda.

But he urges Government to be cautious because swordfish are already very heavily fished and there are quotas.

In a draft chapter for an upcoming book on swordfish worldwide, he notes that Bermudian fishermen do not have the technical expertise at the moment to carry out deep sea longline fishing for swordfish.

And he says most Bermudian fishermen are uninterested in going after swordfish because it involves lengthy voyages at sea.

In the draft chapter, which The Royal Gazette has seen, he writes: "Bermuda has some potential for developing fisheries, targeting ocean species such as swordfish and tunas.

"The interest of foreign fishermen (Canada, Taiwan, and the United States) demonstrates that there is commercial potential.

"Local observers note a variety of obstacles to succesfully initiating longline operations. The fishery requires considerable expertise which is not available locally.

"Another major obstacle is the substantial investment in gear and a vessel.

Fishing is a very traditional activity in Bermuda with fathers teaching sons.

"There are no technical training institutes specialising in fisheries that young people can attend.

"Few Bermudians are knowledgable about longlining so fathers cannot teach their sons. many young Bermudians see more opportunity in less arduous and demanding sectors onshore.'' In an interview with The Royal Gazette from his office in Silver Spring, Maryland, Mr. Weidner added: "The fish is definitely there, the problem is the stock is already heavily fished.

"There is an international commission that has a management plan for swordfish and in past years there have been restricted catches of countries which participated.

"It's a matter of logic. It is a fish that exists in Bermuda's waters and local stocks are heavily fished. One way that countries which have traditional fishes that are overfished do is to launch out to other fishes.

"It is something Bermuda should consider, but bearing in mind it is something that is already heavily fished, it should consider it carefully.'' "It is extremely heavily fished but there is quite a market for it in the United States.'' BOOKS BKS