South Atlantic Swordfish
ICCAT Recommendations
Although no formal Management Strategy Evaluation has been mandated for
Southern Swordfish, the SCRS has acknowledged its potential utility and
continues to evaluate stock status and management options.
Progress
The South Atlantic Swordfish closed-loop simulations began with a
minimalist framework described in Taylor et al. (2022), which used
multivariate life-history priors and CPUE clustering to develop four
operating models (OMs) and test 42 candidate management procedures (MPs)
using satisficing criteria. This work was expanded in Taylor (2023),
which introduced hierarchical clustering of CPUE series, refined the OM
structure, and incorporated visual inspection filters to improve MP
screening. The most recent update, Taylor (2024), consolidates these
methods, identifies 14 high-performing MPs across OMs, and outlines next
steps, including MP tuning, incorporation of data lags, and enhanced
performance evaluation.
