Swordfish

The swordfish stock in the South East Pacific Ocean is data limited. Based on the information available, there seems to be no concern for the biomass, but there is concern for fishing pressure.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of reference points. Swordfish is considered to have medium resilience to fishing pressure. Improved stock assessments are crucial for this species. The South Eastern Pacific Ocean (SEPO) swordfish stock is managed and assessed by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). The last stock assessment was carried out in 2011. A benchmark assessment was carried out in 2022, but has a number of uncertainties and has not provided reference points. A major uncertainty is the structure of the stock. It is not known how far north and west it extends, or whether it is connected to the west Pacific stock. This affects conclusions made about the stock status. The assessment suggests that abundance has been increasing. At the same time, age and length of swordfish in the catch has been decreasing, which could mean more young fish entering the fishery because of good spawning seasons. However, the reason for the increase is not fully understood and cannot be used to provide catch advice. Based on the assessment, we consider there to be no concern for the biomass. Catches of SEPO swordfish (south of 10 degrees North) have increased dramatically, from 15,000 tonnes the mid-2000s to an average of 34,000 tonnes in 2017-2019. The highest catch on record was in 2019 at 37,000t. As catches are above the long term average, and there are no catch limits to prevent stock depletion, we consider there to be concern for fishing pressure.

Few appropriate management measures are in place for South East Pacific Ocean swordfish. There is no management plan to ensure that overexploitation is not taking place. Catches have continuously increased over the past 30 years. Observer coverage, which is important for ensuring data on catch and bycatch is accurate, is too low.Tuna and swordfish are highly migratory species, found on the high seas and in numerous countries' waters. This makes harmonised and effective management challenging. Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) are responsible for monitoring and managing these stocks on behalf of the countries that access them. However, the degree to which management is implemented, monitored and enforced by each country varies significantly. It is important that commercial buyers choose swordfish that has been caught by vessels that are well regulated by their flag state.This stock is managed and assessed by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Some stocks overlap with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The IATTC and WCPFC endeavour to work together to promote compatibility between their respective conservation and management measures across the Pacific, but this is not always achieved.There is no Total Allowable Catch (TAC) set for swordfish in the south eastern Pacific Ocean (SEPO). Management measures that apply to tuna fisheries, in particular albacore and bigeye, are expected to also benefit swordfish stocks. However, catches of SEPO swordfish are at their highest level on record, averaging 34,000 tonnes in 2017-2019. As the latest assessment in 2022 has been unable to provide clarity on reference points or maximum sustainable yield, continued and uncontrolled increases are concerning. Most swordfish is caught by longlining. Since 2011 only 5% observer coverage has been required on large longliners, considered by the scientific committee to be too low for accurate data: a minimum of 20% coverage is recommended. In addition, data recorded by longliners is considered inadequate for scientific purposes and minimum data standards must be identified and introduced.To help address IUU, the IATTC maintains an IUU Vessel List, maintains a register of authorised fishing vessels, prohibits transhipments at sea for most vessels (some exemptions apply), and requires most other transhipments to be documented and observed. Countries are required to report annually on monitoring, control and compliance of management measures. IATTC was the last tuna RFMO to adopt Port State measures (in 2021) to strengthen work to tackle IUU. IATTC does not report on countries' compliance with management measures and does not have a framework for addressing non-compliance.

Around one fifth of swordfish catches in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are by gillnetting. This method receives a default red rating owing to the very high levels of bycatch.In the Eastern Pacific Ocean as a whole, around 80% of swordfish catches are by longline and 20% by gillnet. The main gillnet fisheries are in South America.Gillnets used for catching tuna and tuna like species can be up to 7km long. They are known for extremely high bycatch including endangered marine turtles, whales, dolphins and sharks.IATTC has no specific measures to control the use of this fishing gear or to reduce bycatch by it. Data and the reporting on the impacts of this fishery are very poor.The Eastern Pacific sub-population of leatherbacks is classified as Critically Endangered and at risk of extinction in the area. The population has declined by 90% since the 1980s. Bycatch and fishery interactions are the primary cause of the decline, mainly by gillnets and longlines in the southern and central Eastern Pacific (from Chile to Mexico). It is estimated that between 400 and 1,000 EPO leatherback turtles are killed by fishing each year, and the population was around 1,700 adults in 2015. An analysis by IATTC in 2022 indicated that the population was subject to overfishing by the fishery, and it was categorised as 'most vulnerable' to EPO fisheries. Urgent measures are needed to reduce impacts on this species, including better observer coverage, and improved handling and release practices to improve post-capture survival. This is in addition to current requirements, which include carrying equipment to promptly release turtles, record all interactions, and for shallow longliners to use circle hooks or finfish bait.There is no data available to understand the impact of gillnetting in this area on sharks, seabirds and marine mammals. Global annual estimates put catch rates at over 400,000 seabirds and 500,000 marine mammals.

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