CCAMLR

The Commission currently manages toothfish, icefish and krill fisheries. However, after three decades of activity the management of these fisheries by CCAMLR can be seen to be developing differently. That is to say, the monitoring of fishing activities in the krill fishery in the CCAMLR Area can be seen to differ from that implemented in other fisheries. This situation could be affecting the development of the krill fishery and giving rise to monitoring gaps which need to be addressed. We propose that the Commission consider an increase in observer coverage that would be implemented in stages over the next 4 years.

The Joint CEP/SC-CAMLR Workshop on Climate Change and Monitoring was held in Punta Arenas, Chile (19-20 May 2016). A workshop report was prepared by the conveners (Dr Susie Grant and Dr Polly Penhale), and is provided in full below.

The report was discussed at the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP XIX) in Santiago, Chile (23-27 May 2016) (CEP XIX Report, paragraphs 43 to 56), and at WG-EMM-16 in Bologna, Italy (WG-EMM-16 Report, paragraphs 6.8 to 6.28).

The CEP agreed that the joint workshop had been valuable in further enhancing cooperation and information sharing between the two committees on climate change, environmental monitoring, and other matters of mutual interest. It welcomed the report of the joint workshop, and endorsed the recommendations arising. Further information on discussions at the CEP is also provided in SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/09.

WG-EMM also agreed that the workshop had been a productive and valuable opportunity to share information and consider issues of common interest. It discussed a range of topics arising from the workshop, including:

1. developing further links with SCAR and related programmes (including ICED and SOOS)
2. data and information exchange
3. development of priority questions in relation to climate change

WG-EMM noted that it does not currently have a climate change agenda item, and therefore recommended that the SC-CAMLR Symposium consider whether and how discussions on climate change might be facilitated in future working group meetings, in order to provide appropriate advice to the Scientific Committee.

Uncertainties in Antarctic krill stock still do not allow scientists to develop comprehensive system of Feedback management of krill fishery and to provide work on forecast of the ecosystem changes that has been discussed at the Bologna 2016 Meeting of the WG-EMM. To improve that situation Ukraine suggests the changes to CCAMLR Conservation Measure 51-06(2014) in order to make the scientific observation system in the krill fishery mandatory.

This paper proposes amendments to strengthen Conservation Measure 10-09 by addressing gaps in the monitoring of transhipments. Currently, most of the transhipments in the Convention Area occur between vessels licensed to fish in the Convention Area and vessels of Non-Contracting parties (NCPs). The proposed amendments establish a CCAMLR Record of Carrier Vessels, which may include NCP vessels, and prohibit a Contracting Party vessel from transhipping inside the Convention Area with a vessel that is not authorised under Conservation Measure 10-02 or included on the CCAMLR Record of Carrier Vessels. The amendments would further prohibit a vessel authorised under Conservation Measure 10-02 from transhipping inside the Convention Area with another vessel that is not authorised under Conservation 10-02, or included on the CCAMLR Record of Carrier Vessels. As such, the proposed amendments would assist in preventing support for, and concealment of, IUU fishing through transhipments, and would also improve understanding of transhipment activities involving Antarctic marine living resources harvested inside the Convention Area. 

This text is revised version of earlier presented by Ukraine document WG-EMM-16/56. Taking into account the current state of krill fishery in Area 48 and other important factors, Ukraine proposes to upgrade the Conservation Measure 51-07 in order to redistribute the trigger level of catch in 620 000 tonnes between Subareas in Area 48 in a new percentage limits. This revision of CM 51-07 includes additional precautional measures to avoid interceptance of the krill fishery and the preadors consumption needs establishing season limitations of close to shore fishery. New revision will still enable to follow the precautional conservation principles of the Convention and in the same time will not inflict an economic damage to the krill fishery.

Conservation Measure 32-18 on the conservation of sharks prohibits “directed fishing on shark species in the Convention Area…” and calls for the live release of incidentally-caught sharks where possible.  The measure is, however, silent on the practice of shark finning should incidental catches of sharks occur. The delegations of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, European Union, Namibia, South Africa, Uruguay, and United States propose to amend CCAMLR Conservation Measure 32-18 to prohibit shark finning and require that all fins of any shark that is incidentally caught and that cannot be released alive remain naturally attached through the point of first landing. This is consistent with United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions adopted by consensus every year since 2007.  The proposal has been slightly modified from the version discussed at last year’s meeting, to address comments from Members.

The Delegation of Germany has submitted the scientific background and justification for the development of a marine protected area in the Weddell Sea planning area. In accordance with the recommendations by WG-EMM-14 (SC-CAMLR-XXIII, Annex 6), this was done in three separate documents (SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/11, /BG/12 and /BG/13).

The Scientific Committee is invited to note that:

• Parts A and B of this scientific background are finalised, including final editorial corrections;
• Part C has been (and will be) further improved and extended by Germany, inter alia in the light of the suggestions made at WG-EMM-16. This further scientific work will ensure that Part C (together with Parts A and B) of the Scientific background document in support of the development of a CCAMLR MPA in the Weddell Sea (Antarctica) will continue to represent the best available science.

The Scientific Committee is invited to review and evaluate the documents (SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/11, /BG/12 and /BG/13) and to agree that the information contained in these documents represents at present best available science.

This paper presents suggested amendments to Conservation Measure (CM) 10-05 for CCAMLR’s consideration. The proposed amendments broaden the scope of how Non-Contracting Parties (NCPs) may participate in the Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS), where they have seized or confiscated Dissostichus spp. catch. The amendments are based on the options presented by Australia at CCAMLR XXXIV (2015) and incorporate the recommendation of the e-CDS Workshop regarding the issuing of SVDCDs on behalf of NCPs.