Malaysia, Indian Ocean - Swordfish - Longline

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Overview

The Malaysian Swordfish fishery is governed by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), with actions implemented by the Government of Malaysia. The FIP for this fishery began in 2018 and has made significant governance improvements since. Efforts between 2018 and 2020 were focused on electronic reporting and monitoring for better control of the fishery’s catch; for example, Malaysia participated in the Regional Observer Program for carrier vessels and fishing vessels to monitor transshipment at sea, and the Department of Fisheries in Malaysia has installed CCTV on every vessel. These are major achievements that increase oversight of the fishery tremendously and represent a considerable score increase on Principle 3 (Governance) of the Marine Stewardship Council standard, compliance and enforcement (3.2.3). 

In 2021 the major FIP action, in addition to regular catch reporting, will be to review vessel practices against the requirements in the applicable IOTC resolutions for mitigating risks to ETP species.  

 

 

FIP Description 

The Malaysian Swordfish fishery is governed by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), with actions implemented by the Government of Malaysia. The FIP for this fishery began in 2018 and has made significant governance improvements since.

FIP Objective(s) 
  1. Determine the level of indirect impact of the fishery on the identified ETP species. Determine whether the information basis is sufficient to draw confident and robust conclusions. (2.3.1, MSC 2016:197)
  2. Implement new measures and strategies, so that, where possible, these are binding and develop monitoring protocols to incentivize compliance. (2.3.2, MSC 2016:214)
  3. Consider the potential for unintended or indirect ecosystem impacts of the fishery and ensure that on-going research and data collection are adequate to identify these changes. (2.3.3, MSC 2016:226)
  4. Give consideration to the ecosystem role of the target species and the wider ecosystem impacts (both direct and indirect) in the setting of fishing opportunities. (2.5.1, MSC 2016:266)
  5. Consider the potential for unintended or indirect ecosystem impacts of the fishery and ensure that on-going research and data collection are adequate to identify these changes. (2.5.3, MSC 2016:302)

 

FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 2: FIP Launch
Start and Projected End Dates
January 2021
December 2022
Species 
Common Name 
Swordfish
Scientific Name
Xiphias gladius
Buying Guide Link Image 
Swordfish
Buying Guide
Gear Type 
Longline
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 57 (Indian Ocean, Eastern)
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
IOTC
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
1 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
32,671 metric tons
Landings Date 
August 2021
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
January 01, 2021
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF
Not yet available
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.
  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Target End Date
Dec 2022

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
SYM-PAC International
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Jason Yabiku
Email 
jason@sympacinc.com
Website Name 
The Sustainability Incubator
Organization Name 
The Sustainability Incubator
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Katrina Nakamura
Email 
katrina@sustainability-incubator.com
Website Name 
The Sustainability Incubator
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
16431