Story: Oceanic fish

This photograph was most likely taken in the Bay of Islands, in northern New Zealand. In the early 2000s, between seven and 36 swordfish were caught yearly by big-game anglers, compared to an annual commercial catch of around 1,000 tonnes (about 5,000 swordfish). Much of this is taken as by-catch by the tuna fishery. Little is known about swordfish in the New Zealand region, but they are thought to be part of a much larger stock that spawns in the tropical Pacific.