SWORDFISH IPP PART ONE

Swordfish Initial Position Paper - Part One

Management Proposal

Jan 2004

The following is  Part One of the Ministry of Fisheries management proposal for swordfish as presented in the Initial Position Paper (IPP).

The complete IPP is available in a printable format (pdf) here » »  (102 Kb)

Swordfish IPP Part Two here » »

Swordfish IPP Annex One here » »

Swordfish IPP Annex Two here » »

Swordfish Management Page here » »

Contents

Introduction into the QMS

1. Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) has been gazetted for QMS introduction on 1 October 2004. The Quota Management Area (QMA) for swordfish is outlined in Figure 1. The fishing year for swordfish will be from 1 October through to 30 September in the following year, and total allowable commercial catches (TACCs) and annual catch entitlements (ACE) are to be expressed in kilograms greenweight.

       Figure 1: Quota Management Areas for swordfish

Key Issues to be considered

2. MFish considers the key issues that relate to the decisions for setting sustainability measures for the swordfish stock are as follows:

1. Swordfish is a highly migratory species and swordfish found in New Zealand fisheries waters are probably part of a central western Pacific stock.
2. Background information on catch by sector and method is outlined in Annex One. First utilised by foreign fleets, swordfish is now primarily taken as bycatch by the domestic tuna longline fishery. Domestic landings of swordfish have increased rapidly since 1994 - 95, peaking during 2000-01. Since 2001 landings have progressively declined.
3. The commercial targeting of swordfish is prohibited in New Zealand waters, but fishers can land and sell any incidental bycatch. Reported landings of swordfish, and catch per unit effort rose dramatically during 1995-1998 suggesting that swordfish is being targeted by some commercial longliners.
4. There are no estimates of non-commercial take, but swordfish is an occasional and highly
   prized catch of the recreational big game fishery. Recreational fishers are concerned that any further development of their interests in the fishery might be effected by localised depletion caused by commercial fishing.
5. There has been no assessment of swordfish in New Zealand waters. MSY cannot be estimated, as the fish in New Zealand are part of a wide-ranging stock.
6. Large swordfish are thought to have long residence times in New Zealand fishery waters, which may make them vulnerable to over fishing.
7. MFish considers that the purpose of the Act will be better achieved by setting a TAC for swordfish under s14 of the 1996 Act.
8. Swordfish catches are considered to be sustainable at current levels of utilisation.
9. An MFish analysis suggests setting TACCs at current levels of utilisation is unlikely to constrain the target fisheries or result in widespread discarding of swordfish.

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List of Management Options

3. It is proposed to include swordfish on the Third Schedule and set a TAC pursuant to s14 of the 1996 Act.
4. MFish proposes one option for setting a TAC, TACC and allowances for the swordfish stock as outlined in Table 1 below.

       Table 1 Proposed TAC's, TACC's, and allowances for swordfish (tonnes greenweight).

5. Additional management controls proposed include:

1. setting deemed values and the application of differential deemed values; and
2. amending reporting regulations.

6. Other management options proposed for discussion include:

1. returning small swordfish to the water; and
2. undertaking a review of voluntary area restrictions sometime in the future.
   

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TACs

TAC management strategy

7. It is proposed that swordfish be listed on the Third Schedule to the 1996 Act and a TAC be set pursuant to s14. This section provides for the setting of alternative TACs for stocks specified in the Third Schedule where the Minister is satisfied that the purpose of the 1996 Act would be better achieved by setting a TAC otherwise than in accordance with s13(2). One of the criteria for inclusion of stocks on the Third Schedule is where it is not possible, because of the biological characteristics of the species, to estimate maximum sustainable yield (MSY).   Swordfish is listed as a highly migratory stock (HMS). Therefore, because of the biological nature of the species, it is not possible to estimate the MSY for the species within New Zealand waters.
8. While any TAC must be set in a way that ensures use of the stock is sustainable, there is no requirement to take into account or be guided by the need to manage in accordance with MSY.  MFish believes that a TAC set under the provisions of s14 of the Act can better provide for utilisation (conserving, using, enhancing, and developing fisheries resources to enable people to provide for their social, economic, and cultural wellbeing) for stocks whose range extends beyond the bounds of New Zealand fisheries waters while still ensuring sustainability.
9. Another criteria for inclusion on the Third Schedule is that a catch limit has been determined as part of an international agreement. The formation of an effective regional fisheries organisation is yet to be achieved. Nevertheless, countries involved with establishing the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) have urged states to exercise reasonable restraint in respect of any increase in fishing effort and capacity. International voluntary agreements to manage swordfish within the western and central south Pacific are at least five years into the future. Nevertheless, New Zealand is committed to playing an active role in the WCPFC. New Zealand can further enhance its role in the WCPFC by setting a TAC for swordfish.
10. Further, s14 provides for an in-season review of the TAC to take advantage of available yield beyond any pre-determined target stock level.

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Rationale for proposed TACs

11. There has been no assessment of swordfish in New Zealand waters and unless it can be shown that New Zealand swordfish are largely self recruiting, management of the New Zealand fishery alone will be unable to ensure the sustainability of the fishery. This is because the status of the stock will be, to a large extent, be determined by the size of catches taken outside the EEZ.

12. Stock structure, longevity and productivity of the stock are uncertain and little is known of the biology and ecology of swordfish in the New Zealand region. Nevertheless the wide distribution of swordfish, large reproductive capacity and high growth rates amongst juveniles probably contribute to resilience of swordfish stocks to intensive harvesting, at least in the short to medium term.

13. Nevertheless, swordfish, particularly large swordfish have at best moderate productivity and may have long residence times which may make them vulnerable to over fishing.  

14. MFish notes that estimates of yield are available for the wider Pacific stock (refer to paragraph 102 in Annex Two). Landings of swordfish Pacific wide are currently greater than estimates of MSY, however both the accuracy of reported landings and the estimates of MSY are very uncertain. Nevertheless, setting a TAC at current levels of utilisation of swordfish would clearly signal New Zealand's willingness to actively manage highly migratory species and meet its international obligations with regard to the exercise of reasonable restraint.  

15. Within New Zealand waters, swordfish is principally a bycatch of the surface longline fishery and in general landings of swordfish reflect the number of hooks placed in the water. The total number of hooks was stable between 1985 and 1995 but increased between 1995 and 2000 with the effort progressively levelling off.

16. Policy guidelines suggest that the opportunity for development and the extent of utilisation provided for needs to be assessed on a stock-by-stock basis having regard to risk based on the following factors:

17. Sustainability to the stock, for swordfish the risk is considered moderate to high. There are sustainability concerns relating to the wider Pacific stock and while catch rates within New Zealand waters appear stable, recently reported landings are declining. New Zealand has international obligations to exercise reasonable restraint in the development of its HMS fisheries.

18. Biology of the stock and potential for local depletion, while the wide distribution of swordfish, large reproductive capacity and high growth rates amongst juveniles probably contribute to resilience of swordfish stocks, larger swordfish within the New Zealand fishery have at best moderate productivity and may have long residence times making them vulnerable to over fishing.

19. Impacts of fishing on the aquatic environment including bycatch , for swordfish this is a factor of moderate to low risk. Swordfish is taken in conjunction with other large tuna species including bigeye tuna and southern bluefin tuna and any increase in catch creates some risk that swordfish may be caught over and above the catch limit set for this species.   The current swordfish fishery is a bycatch of the bigeye tuna target fishery. Prospective catch limits are proposed for bigeye tuna. However, as noted in Annex Two, at paragraph 92 there is considerable potential for swordfish catch rates to be managed by fishers depending on the adoption of fishing practices. There are also unquantified risks to associated and dependent species associated with the method of tuna longlining.

20. Socio economic and cultural issues, there is high risk of an interaction between commercial and non-commercial fishing unless this is managed. Both sectors are wishing to expand their interests in the fishery but recreational fishers have expressed concern about the potential impact the current level of commercial catch of swordfish might be having on their fishery. While there are limited direct gear conflicts, spatial conflict exists between the sectors particularly in light of the current assumption that large swordfish may have long residence times, which make them vulnerable to over fishing. This is a highly relevant consideration with respect to any potential for development of the swordfish fishery and may require inter-sectoral spatial agreements if expansion for any or all sectors in the fishery is to occur.

21. On balance, the risks associated with an increase in catch of swordfish are considered to be moderate to high. MFish therefore does not propose at this time to set a prospective TAC for swordfish but rather set a TAC for swordfish based on the best available information of current utilisation.

22. In the instance of a commercial fishery that is stable, but variable, guidelines suggest criteria to set catch limits on the basis of either the current commercial catch or on average catches when landings have been stable in excess of three years. Neither criterion is directly applicable to swordfish because landings over the last six years have increased, peaked and have since declined. Nevertheless, the TACC has been calculated using average commercial landings for the period between 2000 and 2003. This period includes the two years of peak catches as well as the more recent year of a reduced level of catch. MFish considers this period provides the best available information on current levels of commercial utilisation of swordfish (the average of these commercial landings is 885 tonnes).

23. MFish notes that there is provision for an in season increase in TAC if the abundance of swordfish in any fishing year suggests that more may be taken. Any in season increase is given effect through the creation of ACE pursuant to s68 of the 1996 Act.

24. There is no estimate of the recreational catch of swordfish from recreational harvest surveys. Recreational catches to date have been relatively small ( the known recreational catch has averaged seven swordfish per year since 1987 - 88 with a maximum of 36 fish in 1992 - 93). Game fishing records and allowing a small nominal amount for unknown catches and for recreational catches other than from game fishing has provided the basis for an estimate of current utilisation (20 tonnes).

25. There is no estimate of customary catch and the stock is considered to be of no particular importance to Maori. Therefore, in accordance with guidelines, MFish is proposing that an estimate of customary utilisation be based on half the estimate of recreational utilisation (10 tonnes).

26. MFish proposes a TAC for SWO 1 of 919 tonnes based on current utilisation of the fishery.