Swordfish
Swordfish are the sole surviving species in the family Xiphiidae. Donning the appropriate species name of Gladius, these fish are known for their long, flattened bills that resemble a sword—which distinguishes them from the shorter, rounder bills of other billfish.
Unclean gear, inadequate oversight, and pressure to reopen protected waters threaten the future of swordfish. Wild Oceans advocates for cleaner fishing gear through universal circle hook use, scientifically rigorous and transparent exempted fishing permits, promotes time-area closures, and ensures swordfish are managed with the entire ecosystem in mind.
Swordfish Management
Swordfish are managed through a combination of domestic and international frameworks due to their highly migratory nature. In the US, swordfish management falls under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and is primarily overseen by NOAA Fisheries. US management focuses on sustainable harvest limits, gear restrictions, time/area closures, and recreational reporting.
Internationally, swordfish are managed through Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT
) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). These bodies set quotas, monitor stock status, and enforce conservation measures across national jurisdictions. Key provisions include catch limits, observer programs, and minimum size limits to promote healthy stocks. Since the 1970s Wild Oceans has been a strong advocate through board members, presidents, and staff representing the US. in the RMFO arenas.
A Voice for Swordfish
Wild Oceans supports swordfish conservation with strategic advocacy campaigns. A key piece of these campaigns are comment and sign-on letters, which are timely written public statements on specific regulations, agenda items, and initiatives that a fishery regulation organization is actively considering. These letters are where we make the case to managers for keeping the oceans wild. See our swordfish comment letters below!
State of the Swordfish Stocks
Overfishing and overfished statuses – terms which designate when too many fish are being caught and when there are too few fish in sea, respectively – are a cause for concern. Wild Oceans’ staff spends significant time keeping track not only of a species’ existing stock status, but also what might change its status including new scientific modeling, reductions or increases in catch, changing ocean conditions, and many other factors that can adjust from assessment to assessment. We pride ourselves in this tracking and have constructed a comprehensive stock status matrix to keep you in the know.
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