Swordfish bycatch data from tuna traps located at four sites in Italy, 1896-2010

The data set contains swordfish (Xiphias gladius) bycatches from artisanal bluefin tuna fishing traps located at four sites in Italy. Data records include the locations and dates for the catches and the catch in numbers and/or weight on given days during 1896-2010. 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. There are presently few other similarly long data sets for this species in this region. The data have been recovered from historical records, reports and archives associated with the traps.