A black marlin was found for sale at the Sydney Fish Markets in February. Two internationally renowned marine biologists and noted billfish experts identified the marlin in one of the market's larger retailers, De Costi's. It had been headed, gilled, gutted. Though a piece of flesh had been removed from one side, its fins were intact, reportedly making for easy identification of the fishas a black marlin, Makaira
Indica.

Photos of the carcass indicate the fish would have weighed between 70-90kg.The commercial capture and sale of the species, along with Pacific blue marlin (Makaira mazara), is prohibited in Australian waters. The incident was immediately reported to NSW Fisheries and later the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), which has been investigating the matter since. Despite the positive identification, as BlueWater went to ress no action had been taken against De Costi's
or the Sydney.

Fish Markets.
Fisheries legislation prohibits the marketing of blue and black marlin in NSW - at any stage of its sale, wholesale or retail. Meantime AFMA legislation prohibits the commercial taking (capture) of black and blue marlin throughout the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ).

Unable to provide a detailed report at the time of going to press, NSW Fisheries Principal Manager, Regional Services, Glen Tritton assured BlueWater the matter was being thoroughly investigated.

"I'm not at liberty to reveal details of the investigation at this stage, but this is a very serious matter and is being treated as such," Tritton said.

AFMA (Domestic Compliance) Senior Investigations Officer Pat Gallagher was not able to shed much more light on the issue. "All we are able to do at this stage is await the outcome of the NSW Fisheries investigations," Gallagher said.

"If it is confirmed the fish is a black marlin, then it's revealed it was caught by a Commonwealth commercial operator, that's when AFMA would step in."