American Fisheries Society

Marine Fisheries Section

MFS Statements:

Marine Fisheries Section of the American Fisheries Society

1998 Statement on North Atlantic Swordfish

Background

Atlantic swordfish and other highly migratory tunas and tuna-like species are the management responsibility of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).  Despite the statutory mandate of ICCAT to maintain stocks at their level of maximum sustainable yield, North Atlantic swordfish have been overfished for at least 10 years, and the population continues to decline. This statement is issued by the Marine Fisheries Section of the American Fisheries Society to express our concern for the condition of this resource and to urge the ICCAT member nations to adopt effective, risk-averse management measures that will allow the stock to rebuild in a reasonable time period.

Three stocks of swordfish are currently recognized in the Atlantic Ocean: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Mediterranean. While all three stocks are considered overfished, this statement addresses only the North Atlantic stock. For management purposes, the North Atlantic stock is separated from the South Atlantic stock at 5⁰ N latitude. At least 28 countries have reported swordfish landings from this stock in recent years. However, Spain, US, Portugal, Japan, and Canada account for more than 90% of the total reported landings. Spain and the US alone landed 67% of the total catch in 1995.

The principal gear in this fishery is the pelagic longline, which accounts for more than 95% of swordfish landings in the North Atlantic. Most of the catch is taken by longlines specifically targeting swordfish, but significant numbers are also caught as a bycatch in tuna longline fisheries.

Management History

            Total reported North Atlantic swordfish landings peaked at 20,224 mt in 1987, and have since declined to between 14,000 and 17,000 mt. Despite stock assessments as early as the mid-1980s that indicated the stock was in rapid decline, it was not until 1990 that ICCAT recommended management measures for swordfish (to take effect in 1991). These recommendations were: 1) to reduce fishing mortality on fish weighing more than 25 kg by 15% from 1988 levels. 2) to restrict the landing of swordfish weighing less than 25 kg to no more than 15% of the number of swordfish per vessel landing. 3) for countries not targeting swordfish, to limit the incidental catch of swordfish to no more than 10% of their total catch by weight. A subsequent stock assessment indicated that these management measures had not been effective in stemming the decline, and in 1994, ICCAT recommended individual country quotas for the principal harvesting nations: Spain, US, Canada, and Portugal. In 1995, recognizing that rebuilding would take at least several years, percentage shares were established for the major harvesting nations. Individual national quotas were henceforth to be determined by applying that nation’s percentage share to the total allowable stock-wide catch (TAC). In addition, ICCAT established harvest penalties for member nations that exceed their quota, and trade sanction provisions for non-compliance by non-member nations. 

Status of the Stock

            The 1996 stock assessment, the most recent conducted by ICCAT, indicated that North Atlantic swordfish have continued to decline unabated despite management measures imposed since 1991. By 1996, the assessment estimated that the stock had declined to 58% of the level required to produce msy. Fishing mortality was more than twice the level consistent with msy (if the stock was capable of supporting msy, which it is not), and 3.5 times higher than the more conservative F_0.1 fishing mortality target. The assessment further estimated that the 1995 catch (plus discards) of 16,934 mt exceeded replacement yield (the amount of catch that could be taken without causing further stock declines) by more than 5,500 mt, ensuring continued, rapid stock declines.

Current Management Regime

There are two principal management measures in effect for North Atlantic swordfish: a minimum size and country-specific quotas. The minimum size regulation has been disregarded by virtually all countries except the US. However, even in the US, the effectiveness of the minimum size is limited, because the vast majority of swordfish caught on longlines are dead when brought alongside the vessel. Although there may have been some reduction in fishing mortality on small fish as a result of the minimum size, the impact of this measure has been primarily to change small fish landings into small fish discards, most of which are dead. Since discards are not counted against the quota, the minimum size actually results in an increase in fishing mortality on larger fish with minimal decrease in mortality of smaller fish.

Quotas have not been effective because those recommended by ICCAT have consistently exceeded replacement yield, resulting in continued stock declines. Additionally, many smaller harvesting nations (both member and non-member) have actually increased their swordfish catches in recent years, further increasing the rate of decline. Projections made in 1996 estimate that simply arresting the decline would require a catch of no more than about 10,000 mt. Despite this, annual quotas recommended by ICCAT for 1997, 1998, and 1999 were set at 11,300 mt, 11,000 mt and 10,700 mt, respectively. Thus, even if this measure has 100% compliance by both member and non-member nations, the stock will continue to decline. By the time quotas are again reviewed in 1999, replacement yield can be expected to be less than 10,000 mt.  And, with the stock at a lower level, rebuilding within any reasonable time period (e.g. <10 years) will require a TAC well below this level.

Conclusions

            The Marine Fisheries Section concludes that the ICCAT management regime for North Atlantic swordfish has not been effective. The stock has been in constant, monotonic decline since about 1980 and has been overfished since at least 1988. Management measures currently in effect will not even stem the decline, even if perfectly implemented. Current management measures are inconsistent with ICCAT’s objective of maximum sustainable yield, as well as internationally accepted principals of risk-averse fishery management. Therefore, we strongly recommend that ICCAT take the following minimum actions to rebuild this valuable resource:

1. At the 1998 ICCAT meeting, the TAC for 1999 should be reduced to no more than 10,000 mt.

2. All sources of anticipated mortality must be realistically projected for both member and non-member nations, and quotas set accordingly such that total stock removal (including dead discards) does not exceed 10,000 mt in 1999.

3. At the 1998 meeting, ICCAT must implement a biologically acceptable recovery target and a stringent timetable for rebuilding the stock to this level. The minimum acceptable recovery target is Bmsy (the stock size capable of producing MSY), and the maximum acceptable time frame for recovery is 10 years. This recovery plan should be implemented no later than the year following the 1999 stock assessment. The TAC for 2000 should not exceed the estimated replacement yield for that year. Intermediate targets should be established to monitor recovery, and management measures adjusted as necessary to ensure that stock recovery will be achieved within the established time frame.

4. ICCAT must ensure that management measures developed to achieve the above recovery target are effective. Should subsequent assessments indicate that the recovery is not following the anticipated trajectory because of non-compliance, then ICCAT must aggressively pursue its already approved trade sanctions to ensure compliance.

Steven A. Berkeley

Hatfield Marine Science Center

2030 Marine Science Drive

Newport, OR 97365

ph. 541-867-0135

fax 541-867-0138

September 2, 1998

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