Overview
Note: This FIP went inactive on July 9, 2018.
The unit of assessment for the fishery improvement project is the swordfish fishery in the Southwest Atlantic, FAO 41, governed by the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and fished by Spain’s longline fleet.
Confremar Group is hosting this fishery improvement project. The Sustainability Incubator is providing the FIP Secretariat and scientific and technical support.
Note: This FIP went inactive on July 9, 2018.
The FIP objectives are to improve aspects of the fishery needed to meet the level of the Marine Stewardship Council standard for sustainable fisheries. Specifically to:
1. Support research improvements on swordfish productivity in 2018 and 2019. MSC 1.1.1
Rationale: Knowledge gaps about the absolute productivity of the stock contributed to conflicting scenarios concerning stock status advice for South Atlantic swordfish in the 2013 stock assessment. In order to help close the knowledge gap, the FIP will support research improvements on productivity in 2018 and 2019.
Task for 2018: Determine where scientific gaps can be closed.
Task for 2019: Contribute to new research improvements.
2. Contribute support for an HCR for South Atlantic swordfish at ICCAT. 1.2.1
Rationale: ICCAT 15-07 has begun a process for a harvest control rule for S Atlantic swordfish
Task for 2018: Produce a position paper in support of the HCR.
3. Collect data on fishing interactions with ETP species to improve data quality. MSC 2.3.1, 2.3.3
Rationale: Spanish law 42/2007 prohibits the catch or commercialization of any species listed in LESPE and is mandatory for the Spanish fleet even when they are operating in international waters. To score 80 on indicator 2.3.1, it is necessary to have some quantitative information about fishery interactions with endangered, threatened and protected species (LESPE in Spain).
Task for 2018/19: Compile scientific literature on fishery interactions on ETP shark and sea turtle species in the South Pacific pelagic longline fisheries.
