North Atlantic Swordfish MSE
(Xiphias gladius)
Generated by ChatGPT on 15 Feb 2026
Overview
The SCRS formally initiated the development of MSE for North Atlantic swordfish, which included defining and conditioning Operating Models (OMs) in 2018, and the Commission officially started it with Res. 19-14. The OMs were developed using the 2022 stock assessment and updated with data through 2022. Further refinement of OMs and testing of alternative Management Procedures (MPs) has continued from 2019 to 2023. In 2024, the Commission adopted the MP for the North Atlantic swordfish stock in Rec. 24‑10, and has set the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) since 2024 based on the MP. The Commission also adopted the Exceptional Circumstances Protocol (ECP) in 2025 (Rec. 25‑10, Annex 4), and the SCRS evaluates the existence of Exceptional Circumstances (ECs) every year. ECs have not been invoked since 2025.
| OMs developed in 2018-2023 | MP adopted in 2023 | ECP adopted in 2025 |
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| Recondition in 2030 | MP since 2023 | ECs evaluation No ECs since 2025 |
History
The North Atlantic swordfish MSE has been developed to support science-based management under the ICCAT. The objective is to evaluate Candidate Management Procedures (CMPs) that can meet conservation and fishery objectives under uncertainty. The first ICCAT recommendation to explicitly request a MSE for North Atlantic swordfish appears in Rec. 15‑07, which was adopted in 2015. This Recommendation defines what MSE is and establishes it as a priority for ICCAT’s major species, including North Atlantic swordfish.
Elements of MSE for North Atlantic swordfish have been explored at ICCAT for some time. Since the Intersessional Meeting of the Swordfish Species Group on MSE in 2018, the SCRS formally initiated the development of MSE, which included defining and conditioning Operating Models (OMs). The Commission officially started it with Res. 19-14.
Refinements of OMs and testing of CMPs have continued from 2018 to 2023, and the Commission adopted the Management Procedures (MP) for the North Atlantic swordfish stock in Rec. 24‑10.
Operating Models (OMs)
Operating Models (OMs) for North Atlantic swordfish were developed through an iterative conditioning process beginning in 2018. These models reflect alternative hypotheses regarding productivity, recruitment variability, catchability, and selectivity. Conditioning was informed by past assessments, CPUE indices, and tagging data. The OMs for the North Atlantic swordfish MSE were developed using the 2022 stock assessment and updated with data through 2022. They represent a range of biological and fishery uncertainties to ensure robust performance testing of candidate procedures. These models are implemented in the SWOMSE package, built on openMSE.
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| More materials can be found in References | ||
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| Summary | MSE Codes | Shiny App |
Management Objectives
| Stock Status | Safety | Yield | Stability |
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| Prob. >= 60% in green quadrant | Prob. < 15% of stock falling below BLIM | Maximize overall catch | Minimize TAC changes between periods |
Candidate Management Procedures (CMPs)
Initially developed CMPs were either empirical (index-based) or model-based, following four CMPs (Hordyk et al., 2024) were sent to the Commission for their final selection in 2024.
- MCC9 and MCC11
- CE and SPSSFox.
Management Procedure (MP)
The Commission adopted the MCC11 MP in 2024 (Rec. 24-10, Annex 1).
| The MCC11 (Mostly Constant Catch with 11 levels) MP is an empirical approach that relies on a single input: the combined index of abundance for North Atlantic swordfish (hereafter, "the Combined Index"). The objective of the MCC11 MP is to maintain catches at a relatively stable level, permitting increases to the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) only in response to a substantial increase in the Combined Index, and allowing for reductions in the TAC only if the Combined Index exhibits a substantial decline. |
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| Rec. 24-10 Annex 1 |
Exceptional Circumstances (ECs)
The Commission adopted the Exceptional Circumstances Protocol (ECP) in 2025 (Rec. 25‑10, Annex 4).
The SCRS evaluates, annually, the existence of ECs that would preclude the application of the Management Procedure (MP). There have been no ECs invoked since 2025.
Principles of ECs a) When there is evidence that the stock and/or fishery dynamics are in states outside the range of MSE OMs and/or are no longer considered to be plausible in the context of the MSE, or when there is evidence that stock status or fishery dynamics included within the OMs for the MSE testing are no longer considered plausible; b) When there is evidence that the data required to apply the MP are not available or sufficient, or are no longer appropriate; and/or, c) When there is evidence that total catch is meaningfully above the TAC set using the MP. |
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| EC Protocol: Rec. 25-10, Annex 4 |
References of North Atlantic swordfish
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| Year | Ref | Document |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | PLE-115/2019 | ROAD MAP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION (MSE) AND HARVEST CONTROL RULES (HCR) |
| 2015 | Rec. 15-07 | Recommendation by ICCAT on the Development of Harvest Control Rules and of Management Strategy Evaluation |
| Year | Ref | Document |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Capacity building | How to efficiently craft a management procedure |
| 2025 | Capacity building | Management Procedures and Management Strategy Evaluation: A Brief Guide for Managers |
| 2025 | Capacity building | Management procedures versus traditional fisheries management |
| 2025 | Codes | FLBEIA Code |
| 2025 | Codes | NSWO MSE Codes |
| 2025 | Harvest Strategies Glossary | Harvest Strategies Glossary |
| 2025 | IOTC | IOTC MSE capacity building tools |
| 2025 | SCRS/P/2025/009 | Proposal on the ICCAT MSE website by Ad-hoc Sub-group on MSE Communication |
| 2025 | SCRS/P/2025/067 | Status Update on the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE process in 2025 |
| 2025 | SCRS/P/2025/068 | Evaluation of Exceptional Circumstances for the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE in 2025 |
| 2024 | Capacity building | Assessment of Candidate Management Procedures and Harvest Control Rules for the Western Atlantic Skipjack Tuna |
| 2024 | Capacity building | How is MSE based MPs different from current stock assessment practice? |
| 2024 | Capacity building | HOW TO PUT A MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE TOGETHER |
| 2024 | Capacity building | Management Procedure Elements |
| 2024 | Capacity building | Objective of MSE simulations |
| 2024 | Capacity building | Reference Points & Rules: Managing fisheries for the future |
| 2024 | Capacity building | Restoring Pacific saury to a predictable and productive fishery |
| 2024 | Capacity building | What is an MSE based MP? |
| 2024 | SCRS/P/2024/031 | North Atlantic Swordfish MSE development status and work planning for 2024 |
| 2024 | SCRS/P/2024/038 | Preliminary Results for the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE based on an Updated Index of Abundance |
| 2024 | SCRS/P/2024/074 | FLBEIA: A simulation model to conduct Bio-Economic evaluation of fisheries management strategies |
| 2024 | SCRS/P/2024/078 | MSE Process Scorecard for ICCAT Stocks |
| 2024 | SCRS/P/2024/079 | North Atlantic Swordfish MSE: update for WGSAM |
| 2024 | SCRS/P/2024/116 | An update on the North Atlantic swordfish MSE process and next steps |
| 2023 | Capacity building | Two Tools Can Help Make Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management a Global Reality |
| 2023 | openMSE | Open Source Software for Management Strategy Evaluation |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/001 | Update on ICCAT North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/002 | Overview of Development of Candidate Management Procedures |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/003 | Review and Discussion of Key Decisions and Proposals for Consideration at Panel 4 |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/051 | A Review of Reference Points, Objectives, and Performance Standards at tRMFOs |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/052 | Northern swordfish management strategy evaluation (MSE) Update to WGSAM |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/063 | Key Decision Points for Developing Operating Models for North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/065 | Overview of Performance Metrics Developed for North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/066 | Development and Tuning of Candidate Management Procedures for North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/067 | Review of Preliminary Results of Candidate Management Procedures for North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/074 | Summary of Panel 4 NSWO MSE interactions in 2023 |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/094 | Evaluation of Performance of Candidate Management Procedures for the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2023 | SCRS/P/2023/095 | Review of the NSWO MSE framework and recent interactions with Panel 4 |
| 2022 | Capacity building | To Strengthen Fishery Management, RFMOs Should Use Science-Management Dialogue Groups |
| 2022 | SCRS/P/2022/006 | Review of Outstanding Decision Points for the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE Process |
| 2022 | SCRS/P/2022/007 | Development of Candidate Management Procedures for the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2022 | SCRS/P/2022/009 | Update On Development Of The North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2022 | SCRS/P/2022/036 | Updated summary on North Atlantic SWO MSE |
| 2022 | SCRS/P/2022/051 | Development and Evaluation of Some Candidate Management Procedures Based on Surplus Production Assessment Models for the North Atlantic Swordfish |
| 2021 | Capacity building | Harvest strategies: Fisheries Management for the 21st Century |
| 2021 | Codes | openMSE Code |
| 2021 | SCRS/P/2021/028 | North Atlantic Swordfish MSE update |
| 2021 | SCRS/P/2021/040 | Northern Swordfish MSE Update |
| 2021 | SCRS/P/2021/041 | Development of Exceptional Circumstance Criteria for Northern Swordfish MSE |
| 2020 | SCRS/P/2020/004 | Update on the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE |
| 2020 | SCRS/P/2020/017 | Status of the North Atlantic Swordfish MSE Project |
| 2019 | Capacity building | Harvest Strategies: 21st Century Fisheries Management |
| 2019 | ICCAT WS | ICCAT MSE Introductory Workshop in 2019 |
| 2018 | SCRS/P/2018/019 | Current state of MSE/HCR Process in ICCAT |
| 2018 | SCRS/P/2018/020 | What makes an MP an MP and an MSE an MSE? |
| 2018 | SCRS/P/2018/021 | Operating model for North Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius) |
| 2018 | tRFMO MSE Glossary | Glossary of terms for harvest strategies, management procedures and management strategy evaluation |
| 2018 | tRFMO MSE meeting | REPORT OF THE 2018 JOINT TUNA RFMO MANAGEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION WORKING GROUP MEETING (Seattle, USA – 13-15 June 2018) |
| 2018 | tRFMO MSE Working Group | Joint Tuna RFMO Management Strategy Evaluation Working Group |
| 2017 | IOTC-2017-SC20-11 | Update on the conditioning of an operating model for the Indian Ocean swordfish stock |
| 2017 | SCRS/P/2017/006 | Simulation of Harvest Control Rules for North Atlantic Swordfish |
| 2016 | Capacity building | Harvest Control Rules |
| 2016 | Capacity building | Management Objectives |
| 2016 | Capacity building | Management Strategy Evaluation for Fisheries |
| 2016 | Capacity building | Reference Points |
| 2015 | Capacity building | Harvest strategies |
| 2014 | IATTC SAC-05-10b | MANAGEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATION (MSE) IMPLEMENTATION IN STOCK SYNTHESIS: APPLICATION TO PACIFIC BLUEFIN TUNA |
| 2014 | IATTC SAC-05-14 | PROPOSAL FOR BIOMASS AND FISHING MORTALITY LIMIT REFERENCE POINTS BASED ON REDUCTION IN RECRUITMENT |
| 2014 | ICES Journal of Marine Science, 71(2): 195–203 | Implementing harvest strategies in Australia: 5 years on |
| 2003 | North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 23: 349–361 | Targets and Limits for Management of Fisheries: A Simple Probability-Based Approach |
| 1998 | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 55(6): 1545–1552 | Recent international agreements and the precautionary approach: new directions for fisheries management science |
| 1996 | FAO | FAO precautionary approach to capture fisheries and species introduction |