Issues: Wildlife

In 1997, the North Atlantic swordfish was on its way to being wiped out, the victim of years of overfishing and mismanagement. But a 30-month campaign by NRDC and SeaWeb brought new fishing restrictions, and after just a few years under the new regime, North Atlantic swordfish populations have recovered to 94 percent of levels considered healthy.

That finding from the International Commission for the Conservation of Tunas in late 2002 represents a resounding affirmation of the power of focused action to protect the environment. It is a monumental victory for NRDC's oceans campaign, demonstrating that for at least some species of fish, reasonable restrictions on commercial fishing practices can overcome the results of years of mismanagement. Put another way, if we give fish a break, they can recover.

The Give Swordfish a Break Campaign, launched by NRDC and SeaWeb in early 1998, had two principal objectives:

• International quota restrictions on North Atlantic swordfish catch - achieved in 1999; and
  
• Closure to fishing of swordfish nursery areas in U.S. waters - achieved in 2000.
  

The International Commission's assessment of the swordfish population's recovery was the first such estimate since the reduced international quotas and protection of U.S. nursery areas were adopted.

The campaign marked the first large-scale effort to mobilize consumers in support of fish conservation. It launched with the endorsement of 27 prominent chefs, then quickly enlisted the support of an additional 700 chefs at restaurants around the nation. All supported the "Give Swordfish a Break Pledge," agreeing not to serve the fish in their restaurants. Meanwhile, a number of businesses, including the Peabody Hotel chain, cruise lines, grocery stores, airlines and others, removed North Atlantic swordfish from their menus. In 2000, with policy objectives achieved and strong recovery measures in place, NRDC and SeaWeb declared victory and ended the campaign, confident that with time and consistent implementation of the new restrictions, North Atlantic swordfish numbers would recover.

Among the chefs participating in the campaign was Nora Pouillon of Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora in Washington, D.C. "When SeaWeb and NRDC first approached me about this campaign, I knew I had to participate," she said. "I knew there was a problem just watching swordfish get smaller and smaller in the markets. Changes had to be made. It is wonderful that the initial result of these changes are positive. I can't wait to see the large fish come back."

"We saw striped bass come back in the 1980s after we stopped fishing them for a time. Now it's swordfish," said Rick Moonen of restaurant RM in New York. "As a restaurateur, I need to make sure my seafood supply is stable into the future. This is a victory for consumers who love seafood, and we need more victories like this."

In the end, the recovery of the North Atlantic swordfish population is more than just a tale about the protection of a single species. It's also compelling evidence that focused conservation measures can help restore ocean wildlife, an important lesson at a time when so many species are struggling to survive.

Related NRDC Pages
Q & A with chef Nora Pouillon

Related Websites
SeaWeb's Give Swordfish a Break pages

last revised 09.29.04