Swordfish are very rare on the Dutch coast. “It is only the third observation in the Netherlands,” says Pierre Bonnet of Ecomare.
Three copies were found between 1901 and 1986: in the Zuiderzee (1901), near Noordwijk (1922) and in the Wadden Sea (1986). “Now the fish was west of the Eemshaven on the dike near Cape Noord. Passants have found the animal.”
Sword
“It’s a fresh copy,” says Bonnet. “This is really very special. We have never seen this before. I had not dared to dream this. It would surprise me if there was one institution in the Netherlands that has a swordfish in the collection.”
Swordfish are predator fish that can be 4.5 meters long and more than 600 kilos. Their upper jaw is extremely extended, giving it the shape of a sword. They mainly eat school -forming fish, which they hit with their ‘sword’ unconscious before they eat them.