8.7 SAI Sailfish
Few changes from 2006 Executive
Summary because of the absence
of new assessment
SAI-1. Biology
-100
-95
-90
-85
-80
-75
-70
-65
-60
-55
-50
-45
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
-5
0
5
70
Sailfish
65
60
(Istiophorus 55
50
platypterus) has 45
40
a pan-tropical 35
30
distribution. 25
20
There are two 15
10
management 5
units for Atlantic
0
-5
sailfish, eastern
-10
Longline
-15
Other gears
and western.
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40
SAI WEST SAI EAST -45
-50
No changes to the biology section
8.7 SAI - SAILFISH
The last sailfish assessment was conducted in 2001.
SAI-1. Biology
Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) has a pan-tropical distribution. ICCAT has established, based on life history
information on migration rates and geographic distribution of catch, that there are two management units for
Atlantic sailfish, eastern and western (Figure 1). Considerable amount of research continues to be done on the
vertical distribution of sailfish.
SAI-2. Description of the fisheries
-100
-95
-90
-85
-80
-75
-70
-65
-60
-55
-50
-45
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
-5
0
5
70
Sailfish are 65
60
targeted by 55
50
coastal 45
40
artisanal and
35
30
recreational
25
20
fleets and, to
15
10
a less extent,
5
0
-5
are caught as Longline -10
-15
by-catch of
Other gears -20
-25
longliners and -30
-35
purse seiners
-40
-45
-50
SAI
6000
SAI-2. 5000
EAST
Description 4000
of the
catches (t)
AT.E
fisheries
3000 AT.W
UNCL a
2000
1000
0
WEST
1952
1956
1960
1964
1966
1968
1972
1974
1980
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
1950
1954
1958
1962
1970
1976
1978
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2004 2005 2006
SAI EAST 1104 1274 935
SAI WEST 1122 1120 697
Only changes are updates of values
for 2006 catch from task I
SAI-2. Description of the fisheries
Sailfish are targeted by coastal artisanal and recreational fleets and, to a less extent, are caught as by-catch of
longliners and purse seiners (SAI-Figure 1). Historically,catches of sailfish were reported together with spearfish
by many longline fleets. At present it is not possible to appropriately separate the catches of these two species
(SAI-Table 1). Large historical catches of unclassified billfish continue to be reported to the Committee making
the estimation of sailfish catch difficult.
Preliminary and incomplete reports to ICCAT suggest that the 2006 task I catch was 589 t and 645 t,
respectively, for the east and west region (SAI-Figure 2). Task I catches of sailfish for 2006 are preliminary
because they do not include reports from several important fleets.
SAI-4. State of the stocks
No new information on stock status has been provided
since the 2001 assessment.
No changes to the text
SAI-3. State of the stocks
No new assessments of the sailfish stocks have been conducted since 2001. No relative abundance indices have
been presented since 2001.
Although the 2001 attempts at quantitatively assessing the status of these two stocks (eastern and western
sailfish) proved to be unsatisfactory, there were indications of early decreases in biomass for these two stocks.
These decreases probably lowered the biomass of the stocks to levels that may be producing sustainable catches,
but it is unknown whether biomass levels are below those that could produce MSY.
SAI-5. Recovery/Outlook
No new information on the recovery/outlook for sailfish
has been provided since the 2001 assessment.
No changes to the text
SAI-4. Outlook
There is no new information available to change the outlook as presented in the 2001 report. It is unknown if the
western or eastern sailfish stocks are undergoing over-fishing (F>FMSY) or if the stocks are currently over-fished
(B
recent trends of CPUE and catch.
Because no assessment has been conducted since 2001, no relative abundance indices are available after 2000,
and given the uncertainty in the catch, the outlook for both the eastern and western stock is uncertain.
SAI-6. Effect of current regulations
No ICCAT regulations for sailfish or spearfish are in
effect.
No changes to the text
SAI-5. Effect of current regulations
No ICCAT regulations for sailfish or spearfish are in effect.
SAI-7. Management recommendations
Management recommendations here are the
same as those made in 2006.
• The previous management
recommendations indicated that the
Commission should consider methods for
reducing fishing mortality rates.
SAI-7. Management recommendations
(cont.)
•…
• Propose an inter-session data preparatory
meeting in 2008 leading to a sailfish assessment
in 2009. The intersessional meeting should:
– review of sailfish catch and effort data, with
particular attention to catch estimates from
artisanal fleets,
– separation of spearfish out of those historic
catch reports where both species were
reported as combined and
– relative abundance indices for the coastal
artisanal fleets..
Slight rewording of last paragraph
SAI-6. Management recommendations
Management recommendations here are the same as those made in 2006. The previous management
recommendations indicated that the Commission should consider methods for reducing fishing mortality rates.
The current western Atlantic assessment leads the Committee to recommend that the western Atlantic sailfish
catches should not exceed current levels. For the east Atlantic, sailfish catches should not exceed current levels
and the Commission should consider practical and alternative methods to reduce fishing mortality and assure
data collection systems.
The Committee is concerned about the incomplete reporting of sailfish catches, particularly for the most recent
years. The Committee recommends all countries landing sailfish and spearfish or having dead discards of these,
report these data by species to the ICCAT Secretariat.
Before the next sailfish assessment can proceed there needs to be a review of sailfish catch and effort data, with
particular attention to catch estimates from artisanal fleets, separation of spearfish out of those historic catch
reports where both species were reported as combined and relative abundance indices for the coastal artisanal
fleets. This should be done in an inter-session meeting in 2008 leading to a sailfish assessment in 2009.
SAI Summary Table
No changes to the table
ATLANTIC SAILFISH SUMMARY1
West Atlantic East Atlantic
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) Not estimated Not estimated
Recent Yield (2000) 506 t 969 t
2000 Replacement Yield ~ 600 t Not estimated
Management Measures in Effect None None