It's hard to resist freshly grilled swordfish! And Californians can't seem to get enough of it! Commercial fishermen in California landed almost two million pounds of swordfish in 1996. In terms of dollars, swordfish ranks among the Golden State's top ten seafoods. From the turn of the 20th century, California swordfish has been caught commercially by harpoon. It's an ancient method of fishing that traces its origins back to Alexander the Great. That remained the primary method of catch until the late 1970s when more efficient, less costly drift nets became the norm. Now, only 3% of California's swordfish are taken by harpoon. One swordfish can weigh over a thousand pounds, but the steaks we eat usually come from smaller fish weighing less than 500 pounds. Once a swordfish is trimmed and sliced, only 66% of the fish is actually used. That amounts to a 34% loss, but industry experts say it's necessary in order to produce a high quality product. The flavor of swordfish has broad appeal. If you're not a real fish lover, swordfish is a great one to start with, since it has a nice balance of texture, flavor and oil content. Swordfish is usually caught off the coast of San Diego, but this year almost all the fishing has moved farther north, due to El Niño. Peak season is between August and December. California's fishermen are highly regulated, particularly in the swordfish industry. Fishermen here are now using an acoustic device to save whales and other marine mammals from getting caught in fishing nets. The devices, called pingers, are attached to the nets. Once in the water, they send out a kind of alarm which alerts marine mammals that something is there. The animal senses the pinging and then avoids the net. That way, fishermen net only fish, not whales or other marine mammals. The National Marine Fisheries Service now requires the use of pingers, but the fishermen don't seem to mind. Industry experts say the fishermen themselves are in it for the long haul; they want a future, too. Mr. Aiden Coburn of The Fish Market was a great resource to us on this story. His years of experience in the fishery industry have afforded him a wealth of knowledge about seafood and the fishery industry. Mr. Coburn works in the retail side of the business for The Fish Market, a restaurant/retail operation with locations in six cities. He also works for the company's wholesale business. And if you're looking for some interesting ways to serve swordfish, then look no further. The California Seafood Council has generously provided some mouth-watering swordfish recipes you'll definitely want to try! Grilled California Swordfish with Pesto Ingredients 1 lb. California swordfish Pesto Sauce (recipe to follow) Lemon wedges and herb sprigs for garnish Pesto Sauce ¼ cup olive oil 1 cup nuts (pine nuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts) 1 large bunch basil, cilantro or Italian parsley ¼ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated 1 head garlic, about 6-8 cloves ½ teaspoon pepper zest of 1 lemon Process or blend all sauce ingredients together until smooth. Stir well before serving. Pesto may be prepared in advance and frozen, or may be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Directions Broil, grill or barbecue the swordfish cutlets. Baste with pesto when turning. Cook 10 minutes total per inch of thickness, approximately 5 minutes per side. Serve with pesto on top. Garnish with lemon wedges and herb sprigs. California Swordfish Piccata Ingredients 1 lb. California swordfish, ½" thick cutlets ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoon capers 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped lemon rounds for garnish Directions Pepper California swordfish cutlets and place on a broiling pan. Broil fish for 2½ minutes on each side until flesh turns opaque. Remove swordfish from broiling pan and place on a heated serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley, lemon juice and capers. Garnish with lemon rounds. Serves four. If you have comments or questions about this story, please E-mail us at calheart@kvie.org.