Monthly-resolved swordfish bycatch data from Milazzo tuna trap, 1896-1901

The data are swordfish (Xiphias gladius) bycatches from the artisanal bluefin tuna fishing trap located at Milazzo, Sicily, Italy. The data have been recovered from historical records, reports and archives associated with the traps. Data records include the locations and dates for the catches and the catch in numbers and/or weight in given months. Catch data in weight are not available on specific days for these years at this site. The time period is 1896-1901. Catch data in numbers are however available on specific days for these years at this site; see accompanying data set #928996. The data have been recovered to increase understanding of the long-term dynamics of the population and its fisheries, including effects of exploitation and climate variability and change, and to provide baseline knowledge against which future variations can be compared.