PROSPECTIVE Chile artisanal swordfish - gillnet

Resource Description:

The swordfish (Xiphias gladius) is a highly migratory pelagic species found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters of all oceans and inland seas worldwide, except in polar regions. In Chile, it ranges from the northern limit of the country to about 40° South Latitude, associated with waters between 13°C and 24°C.

Fishery Description:

The swordfish fishery in Chile has traditionally been artisanal, with capture records available for over 60 years. Since 1986, there has been significant growth in the fishery, associated with the increase of the artisanal fleet and the introduction of gillnets, as well as the use of satellite imagery of sea surface temperature (Yañez et. al., 2014 ).

The fishery, conducted by the artisanal fleet, takes place from April to December, following the species' movement patterns. Access is controlled for new entrants, and there is regulation of fishing gear and equipment. Annual monitoring is carried out by the Institute for Fisheries Development (IFOP) through the “Monitoring Program of Major National Fisheries. Highly Migratory Resources with an Ecosystem Approach,” and is also monitored by the Scientific Technical Committee for highly migratory resources, chondrichthyes, and biodiversity.

For 2023, the Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA) determined its exploitation status as "Fully Exploited" (SUBPESCA, 2023), indicating it is in a healthy state, a situation that has persisted for over a decade. Recent research reveals that swordfish has high resilience, allowing it to be harvested without negatively impacting its sustainability (Wiff et. al, 2018). Additionally, indicators established by FishSource for this resource show values above 6, though they warn of high uncertainty in regional stock assessments due to its migratory condition, although all simulations show it to be above the suggested reference points.

Since 2021, there have been regulations regarding handling protocols and mitigation measures to reduce incidental capture of marine mammals in this fishery (SUBPESCA, 2021). Recently, SUBPESCA, in collaboration with the National Institute for Sustainable Development of Artisanal Fisheries and Small-Scale Aquaculture (INDESPA), has been developing a pilot project to equip the artisanal fleet with "pingers" devices to reduce incidental capture during fishing operations (INDESPA, 2025).