Pacific stake grows as new rules for North Pacific swordfish take shape

By Ron Rocky Coloma

Efforts to update the management of North Pacific swordfish are bringing renewed focus to the Pacific islands, where fishing supports both local economies and daily food needs.

U.S. fisheries officials are working with international partners to refine long-term rules for the stock under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the two bodies that oversee highly migratory species across the Pacific Ocean.

The push comes as scientists say the stock remains in strong condition. Recent assessments found that North Pacific swordfish is not overfished, and fishing pressure is below levels associated with maximum sustainable yield, a benchmark commonly used to measure sustainability.

Still, regulators say the current framework guiding the fishery lacks detail and needs improvement to better guide future decisions.

“We would characterize this adopted harvest strategy as recognizing that there were good intentions in its development, but it is fairly nondescript in several sections,” said Emily Reynolds, fishery policy analyst at NOAA Fisheries.

That gap has led to new work on a more structured approach known as a management strategy evaluation, or MSE. The process uses simulations to test how different management rules could affect both fish populations and fishing industries over time, especially under changing ocean conditions.

Officials say the effort is also linked to maintaining international sustainability standards.

“For full transparency, some of this interest may also be driven by an interest to maintain a Marine Stewardship Council certification,” Reynolds said.

For Pacific island regions, including Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, the outcome carries broader implications. Fisheries remain central to food security and income, yet many decisions are made through international negotiations that can feel distant from island communities.

U.S. officials say stakeholder input will shape the country’s approach as new rules are developed.

“The inputs that you provide today are going to help shape our proposals and our positions this year at IATTC and WCPFC,” said Drew Lawler, principal deputy assistant secretary for international fisheries.

At the same time, industry representatives say the conversation should go beyond overall stock health.

“We’ve seen a decline in CPUE while the stock is assessed at maybe its all-time high levels,” said Eric Kingma, a Fisheries Science Community or relevant fishery management council representative for Region 1, referring to catch per unit effort, a measure of how many fish are caught per unit of fishing effort.

That disconnect has raised questions about how swordfish are distributed across the Pacific and how accessible they are to different fleets. Some scientists point to environmental changes that may be shifting fish farther from traditional fishing grounds. Others highlight economic factors such as rising fuel and bait costs that limit how far vessels can travel.

The issue is further complicated by the nature of the fishery. While some fleets directly target swordfish, a significant portion of the catch is incidental to vessels targeting tuna species, making it harder to manage fishing pressure in a straightforward way.

For island communities, those dynamics matter. Access to fisheries, stability of supply and participation in regional decision-making all influence how benefits from the resource are shared.

As discussions continue, officials say the goal is to build clearer, more measurable rules that balance conservation with economic opportunity.

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