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Swordfish
Xiphias gladius
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BIOLOGY
Swordfish is the only member of the family Xiphiidae. It is a highly migratory species, moving towards temperate or cold waters in summer to feed and returning to warmer waters to spawn. In the Atlantic spawning takes place in spring in the southern Sargasso Sea, in spring and summer in the Pacific and June-August in the Mediterranean. Usually solitary it forms large schools during spawning. Females mature at 5-6 years at a length of 150-170 cms.Males reach sexual maturity at smaller sizes.They can attain a maximum size of 4.5m and a weight of 650 kg. Most swordfish over 140 kg are female.
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ADVICE
Swordfish has low resilience and is subject to high fishing pressure. A number of stocks are overfished and/or include large catches of immature swordfish and by-catch of non-target species including endangered marine turtles. Swordfish are also a predator at the top of the food chain and play an important role in the marine ecosystem. Avoid eating swordfish in the Mediterranean, which is considered overfished. In the Southwestern Pacific Ocean the swordfish stock is estimated to be within safe levels however there is uncertainty regarding the reliability of the reference points used. Swordfish from the East Pacific is moderately to fully exploited, with no room for increased catches. The North Atlantic stock of Swordfish is considered endangered by the IUCN, however biomass levels are at 99% of the biomass needed to support the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). Increase the sustainability of the swordfish you eat by choosing swordfish from US managed waters in the North Atlantic only where measures are in place to reduce by-catch of endangered marine turtles, and fishery is responsibly managed. In Brazilian fisheries similar turtle by-catch mitigation projects (TAMAR/IBAMA) are being developed based on the US fisheries programme and a National Action Plan to reduce incidental capture of turtles created in 2001 to promote use of 'turtle-friendly' fishing practices.
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