CCAMLR

The General Capacity Building Fund (GCBF) was created as a result of decisions made at CCAMLR-38 (SCAF-2019 report, paragraph 22). The Secretariat is required to report to the Commission on the activities of the Fund during 2020.

The biomass of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in CCAMLR Subarea 48.4 is estimated from tagging returns, giving an average of 1,456 tonnes since 2016. Applying the CCAMLR agreed precautionary assumption of average biomass, using the 5-year average biomass, and harvest rate of γ = 0.038, implies a 2020/21 yield of 55 tonnes.

Historically, a precautionary approach has been applied in treating 48.4 Antarctic toothfish as a separate stock. Based on the biological characteristics of the catches in Subarea 48.4, and the surrounding regions, the Antarctic toothfish around the southern South Sandwich Islands are now hypothesised as being part of a much larger stock that extends south into Subareas 48.2, 48.6 and possibly 48.5. The current method of assessment, based on tag returns, consequently, is considered to provide an estimate of the local biomass.

The CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its Working Groups are tasked with providing precautionary management advice in accordance with CCAMLR Article II and using the CCAMLR Decision Rule as a foundation. WG-EMM(2019) began setting out a process for defining a “data rich” analysis approach progressing towards assessment and management of the krill stock and its fishery. At WG-EMM(2020) discussions highlighted that for Subarea 48.1, where catches have increased to the local interim catch allocation and where there has been development of a risk assessment model, a data limited approach could be used to provide advice to the Scientific Committee and the Commission in the short term, while the data rich approach is being fully developed and evaluated. This discussion paper outlines a draft data limited approach for providing advice on krill management in Subarea 48.1, to initiate further discussion on the methodology.

Oceanites, Inc. is a US-based, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization under US law, which was founded in 1987. Its mission is to advance science-based conservation and to increase the awareness of climate change, its potential impacts, and climate change adaptation through the lens of Antarctic penguins.

This report summarizes activities of Oceanites since CCAMLR-XXXVIII and SC-CAMLR-XXXVIII, including: 

• Results from the latest, 26th consecutive field season of the Antarctic Site Inventory 

• Update on the Mapping Application for Penguin Populations and Projected Dynamics (MAPPPD) database and its use within the Antarctic Treaty system and in CCAMLR

• Voluntary Krill Fishing Buffer Zones 

• Re-analysis of Gentoo Penguin Populations in the Antarctic Peninsula 

• State Of Antarctic Penguins 2020 Report and Penguin Population Changes 

• Update on Climate Analyses

• Recent, Notable Scientific Papers Relating to MAPPPD.

This paper summarises information held by the Secretariat in relation to IUU fishing and vessel activity relevant to CCAMLR from August 2019 to August 2020. Instances of unidentified fishing gear retrieved in the Convention Area are detailed in Annex 1. There are two vessels proposed for inclusion on the Draft CP-IUU Vessel List, the Panamanian-flagged Nika and the Russian-flagged Palmer.