Stock assessments have been carried out regularly using a range of assessment methods. The reliability of the estimates of total catch has continued to improve over the past few years and the aggregate population is considered healthy and fishing mortality rates are sustainable{IOTC 2014}. The IOTC adopted a measure to implement the precautionary approach in 2012, which includes the use of stock-specific reference points, associated harvest control rules, the ability to enact emergency measures in the face of natural phenomena having a negative impact on resources, and to evaluate the performance of reference points and potential harvest control rules through management strategy evaluation {IOTC 2013c}. The IOTC recently adopted additional measures (i.e. countries are to provide a record of vessels authorized to operate in the IOTC area) to aid in controlling IUU fishing {IOTC 2013c}.
Although important progress in the quality and quantity of analyses have been conducted, the stock structure of swordfish in the Indian Ocean is still uncertain – potentially allowing for localized depletion in regions such as the southwest Indian Ocean {IOTC 2013}. Currently, there are no catch limits for Swordfish stock in the southwest Indian Ocean despite scientific advice {IOTC 2013}. IUU fishing and piracy has been a major issue in the Indian Ocean and there are compliance issues with regard to the quality of reported data {IOTC 2013b}. Observer coverage rates in this fishery are low and there is a lack of information on bycatch of ETP species including sharks, sea turtles, sea birds and marine mammals. Few bycatch mitigation methods have been adopted by the IOTC.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Last updated on 1 July 2016
Improvement Recommendations to Catchers & Regulators
1. Ensure member countries comply with all Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s (IOTC’s) conservation and management measures (CMMs), including measures aimed at both target and incidental market and non-market species, and all other obligations. Through your delegation to IOTC, encourage the compliance committee to make information on non-compliance by individual members and cooperating non-members publicly available in order to increase the incentive for compliance by all IOTC members and cooperating non-members.
2. Promote the adoption by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) of precautionary and ecosystem-based management measures, including formal biological reference points (interim currently in place), harvest control rules, increased observer coverage for longline fleets, and monitoring efforts adequate to ensure harvest strategy objectives are being met. Adopt domestic laws and regulation to implement IOTC measures and provide monitoring and surveillance adequate for compliance. Encourage IOTC and parties to comply with current required onboard observer coverage rates.
3. Encourage member countries to improve data collection, reporting and analysis to reduce uncertainty in stock assessments. Catches of swordfish in the southwest Indian Ocean catches should be limited to below 6,000 t to allow the population to rebuild.
4. Encourage IOTC to conduct studies, increase monitoring where needed to meet scientific recommendations and make resulting datasets available for assessments of longline interactions with endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species and other bycatch species. Call upon IOTC to identify and mandate best practices bycatch mitigation techniques and to adopt other management measures such as size and catch limits for species such as sharks. Comply with recently adopted IOTC management measures prohibiting the retention of oceanic whitetip and thresher sharks.
Recommendations to Retailers & Supply Chain
- Ask the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and individual member countries to adopt precautionary and ecosystem-based management measures including effective harvest strategies and to increase observer coverage in fisheries where this is needed to meet scientific recommendations.
- Require your suppliers to source only from fisheries that comply with all IOTC Conservation and Management Measures, and request that IOTC make information on compliance by members and cooperating non-members publicly available. An example of how this might be achieved is a control document that ensures recording and reporting interactions, and prohibition on retaining thresher and oceanic whitetip sharks.
- Ensure all products are traceable back to legal sources. Verify source information and full chain traceability through traceability desk audits or third party traceability certification. For fisheries without robust traceability systems in place, invest in meaningful improvements to bring the fisheries and supply chain in compliance with best practices. .
- Contact SFP to learn more about fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and SFP’s Supplier Roundtables.
Stock Assessment
Last updated on 23 June 2015
Swordfish in the Indian Ocean were last assessed in 2014.A variety of models were used, including the stock synthesis 3 model.A number of models were used due to uncertainty with regard to swordfish biology, issues with fitting long time series and issues with representing recruitment variability. An additional assessment for swordfish in the southwest Indian Ocean was also conducted. While this is not recognized as a genetically distinct population, there are concerns with localized depletion {IOTC 2014}.
Scientific Advice
Last updated on 23 June 2015
It has been advised the improved monitoring, data collection, reporting and analysis is needed. In addition, catches in the southwest Indian Ocean should not be increased and the population may benefit from a 20% reduction in catches from 2013 levels (IOTC 2014).
Reference Points
Last updated on 23 June 2015
Reference points for Swordfish in the Indian Ocean Tuna commission Area: Source: IOTC (2014)
2013 catch estimate: 31,804 tonnes
Average Catches (2009-2013): 26,510 tonnes
MSY: 33,200 – 45,600 tonnes
SB2013/SBMSY = 2.44-3.75
F2013/FMSY = 0.28-.40
SB2013/SB0 = 0.58-0.89
Current Status
Last updated on 23 June 2015
Swordfish in the Indian Ocean are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. However, the population in the southwest Indian Ocean is overfished {IOTC 2014}.
Trends
Last updated on 23 June 2015
The current biomass of swordfish has been reduced to around 58-89% of virgin levels and is well above levels needed to produce the maximum sustainable yield. The biomass is above the current provisional biomass based limit reference point (0.4*B~|MSY|~) and therefore swordfish are not considered overfished.There is a very low risk of the population becoming overfished in the future, even if catches are increased.In the southwest Indian Ocean, although this is not a genetically distinct population, swordfish have been subjected to localized depletion.The biomass in this area is slightly below levels needed for the maximum sustainable yield and is therefore overfished. Fishing mortality rates for swordfish in the Indian Ocean are well below levels needed to produce the maximum sustainable yield.Fishing levels are also below the provisional limit reference point (1.4*F~|MSY|~) and therefore overfishing is not occurring.In addition, recent catches of swordfish have been below the maximum sustainable yield {IOTC 2014}.
Managers' Decisions
Last updated on 23 January 2012
There is one overarching species specific management measure for swordfish in the Indian Ocean, which limits the fishing capacity to 2007 levels. Other measures which also apply to swordfish include: recording of catch and effort information, recording of licensed and authorized foreign fishing vessels, regional observer program and maintaining a record of active fishing vessels (IOTC 2014).
IOTC
Indonesia
Drifting longlines
Last updated on 24 June 2015
Indonesia is a cooperating member of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. National management measures specific to the tuna fishery (which apply to swordfish)include the following. There is a logbook program in place, but there are issues with the coverage and quality of submissions. Vessels larger than 30 GT must have a vessel monitoring system in place.There is an observer program and port sampling programs – per IOTC mandate – in place for tuna fisheries {Satria et al. 2013}. In addition, Indonesia has a Database Sharing Systems for Fisheries Management in place to deal with illegal, unreported and unregulated(IUU) fishing {Irianto et al. 2014}.
One of the goals of the fishery improvement project included in this profile is to work with other institutions to improve management and policy of Indonesia towards sustainable fishing.
Recovery Plans
Last updated on 23 June 2015
There is no recovery plan in place but swordfish populations are healthy, except in the southwest Indian Ocean {IOTC 2014}.
Compliance
Last updated on 23 January 2012
The Compliance Committee indicated that reporting of mandatory statistics is generally poor, due to incomplete and/or poorly documented data, although an improvement was noted in 2012 {IOTC 2013b}.There is no TAC in place but fishing effort has been reduced since effort limitations were put into place {IOTC 2013}.
ETP Species
Last updated on 27 February 2014
Bycatch of seabirds and sea turtles in pelagic longline fisheries threatens some populations with extinction (Gilman, 2011). Bycatch of several vulnerable species groups has been documented in gillnet fisheries (e.g., Gilman et al., 2009). There are sea bird mitigation measures being used by some longline fleets in the Indian Ocean, which appear to have been successful at reducing interactions. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission has implemented management measures for sea bird and sea turtles{IOTC 2013}.However, additional research on mitigation measures is warranted and continued monitoring of current mitigation measures and their effectiveness is needed.
IOTC
Indonesia
Drifting longlines
Last updated on 24 June 2015
Observers aboard Indonesian longline vessels operating in the Indian Ocean during 2012 (targeting all tuna species not just albacore) reported the incidental capture of 8 seabirds, two of which were dead. Between 2012 and 2013 a total of 25 sea turtles were incidentally captured, with 11 moralities recorded. The most commonly caught species was the olive ridley, with leatherback, green and loggerhead turtles also being reported (Iritano et al. 2014).
Other Target and Bycatch Species
Last updated on 23 January 2012
Sharks and other fish species are also captured in longline fisheries. Total bycatch levels for the Indian Ocean longline fishery have been estimated to be 6%. Interactions with sharks continue to be problematic in this region because several large fleets use wire instead of monofilament leaders (making it difficult for sharks to escape capture).Blue and shortfin mako sharks are the two most commonly captured shark species {Adrill et al. 2013}.The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission has implemented some shark specific regulations {IOTC 2013}.However, additional research on mitigation measures is warranted as are additional management measures, such as bycatch limits.
IOTC
Indonesia
Drifting longlines
Last updated on 24 June 2015
Indoneisan longliners also capture species such as sharks, billfish and other tunas. Observer records from 2013 indicate that 121 individual sharks, representing nine species, were observed caught. The two most commonly caught shark species were the crocodile shark (Pseudocarcharias kamoharai_) and blue shark (Prionace glauca_). Indonesia has made progress on their National Plan of Action for sharks and is working towards adopting nation wide shark quotas for some species. Two species of manta rays (Manta birostris and Manta alfredi) have been given protection in Indonesian waters. Billfish made up 6.3% of the observed longline catch during 2013. The most commonly caught species were swordfish (~50%). Black, blue and striped marlin along with shortbill spearfish were also represented in the catch (Iritano et al. 2014).
Habitat
IOTC
Indonesia
Drifting longlines
Last updated on 15 November 2013
Pelagic longlines do not typically come in contact with bottom habitats.
