Hydrological conditions, the distributiion pattern of krill and characteristics of the Soviet krill fishery off the Wilkes Land and Balleny Islands in 1988 and 1989 are described. The variability of some CPUE indeces (TC/TH/PPST; TC/TFISHT; TC/TFISHT/PPST) is analysed on the basis of data obtained aboard the Soviet trawler “Kapitan Oleinichuck".
The waters off the Terre d'Adelie (130° - 150° E) are likely to be . an area of regular occurence of krill concentrations, probably the frequency of their occurence is the highest in the whole East Indian and West Pacific Anrarctic. This seems to be associated with the quasi-stationary eddy, its southern branch is expressed as the East Wind Drift. Krill in fishable concentrations occur in the form of rather layers than aggregations however the diurnal transition between these forms can take place.
The characteristics of the Soviet krill fishery off the Wilkes Land are similar to those of the Japanese fishery. CPUE indeces including mean searching time per haul (TC/TH/PPST, TC/TFISHT/PPST) are strongly influenced by the fishery tactics applied by captains, they are of limited value for the assesment of the conditions of concentrations when the vessel fishes layers of krill. The TC/TFISHT-index in our case apparently. reflects seasonal and annual changes in the krill concentrations.
