CCAMLR

This paper presents the results of at-sea monitoring of seabirds and cetaceans over five summer seasons, 2010 to 2014, at the Scotia Sea, Antarctica, covering a total of 1463 nautical miles with 1100 ten-min counts. Among birds, six species of Procellariiformes were abundant: Black-browed Albatross, Cape petrel, Southern Fulmar petrel, Antarctic Prion, Wilson’s Storm petrel, and Black-bellied Storm Petrel. Antarctic Prion was the dominant species within the 5 years whereas Cape petrel showed successive decreases in abundance. Five baleen whales where recorded: Humpback, Sei, Southern Right, Fin and Minke, which had different abundances during our study. Fin whale had the highest mean encounter rate in the five years (0.29 ± 1.57 whale/nautical mile), followed by Humpback whale (0.09 ± 0.54). Annual dissimilarity in abundance of both birds and cetaceans occurred in conjunction with changes in sea surface temperature and ice cover, showing the dependence of top predators to environmental changes. The largest aggregations of all top predators (seabirds and cetaceans) were recorded mainly in two regions: west and south of South Orkney Is., suggesting important prey availability, especially krill, in those areas.

A multi-year plan for research by Japan and South Africa aimed at yielding a tag-based assessment of the Dissostichus resource in statistical Subarea 48.6 was adopted in 2012 and formulated in CM 41-04. This paper submits a work plan for the South African contribution to the third year of this research in 2014/15 and is to be read in conjunction with WG-SAM-14/10.

Japan and South Africa are undertaking a multi-year research plan in Statistical Subarea 48.6 as outlined in CM 41-04 (2012 & 2013). Progress achieved during the 2012/13 season is reported and achievements for the first two months of the 2013/14 season are briefly mentioned.

Over the first 14 months of the Research fishery a total of 318 Dissostichus eleganoides and 1660 D. mawsoni have been tagged and released, and 31 tagged toothfish have been recaptured. Even though almost 50% of the recaptures are within season the progress is encouraging and the indications are that sufficient tagged toothfish could be recaptured by the end of the current season to enable a tag-based assessment of the Dissostichus resource in Subarea 48.6 to be undertaken next year.

Concern is expressed over the rise of IUU activity in Subarea 48.6 and the possible negative consequences for the Research being undertaken.

In this paper we provide WG-EMM with an update on aerial survey methods used to provide new estimates of penguin population distribution and abundance. This project will continue to develop over the coming years and we will provide similar updates at regular intervals.

The ICES Benchmark Protocol is a review process for evaluating the data and analyses that form the basis of ICES management advice for a stock. The review examines stock structure, fishery characteristics, biological and assessment data, stock assessment and projection methodology. The review is conducted outside of the ICES annual assessment and advice environment. It includes experts from outside of the ICES community and stakeholders to broaden the knowledge and enhance credibility. The goal of a benchmark is agreement on an assessment methodology that is to be applied in annual update assessments, for a fixed short term period. Introducing benchmarking of CCAMLR assessments would be expected to provide greater transparency, quality control and stability to the SC-CAMLR management advice and to improve communication between science, the industry, stakeholders and administrators.

Submitted format for reporting finfish research proposals of the Ukraine in Subarea 48.2 in 2015.

This paper presents an analysis of data gained from a nine-year tagging programme of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) in Subarea 48.3. It describes the tagging procedure, the information gained about biology, growth and movement of Patagonian toothfish, and explains the overlap of tagging length distributions with those of the landed catch and survey data. The characterisation of tag recapture data from Subarea 48.3 shows that the tagging programme is successful in providing substantial information for the stock assessment.

We propose a multi-year and multi-member research plan using standardised longline gear to sample the toothfish populations in the northern areas (61° - 66° S) of SSRUs 88.2A–B. The purpose of the research as requested by the Scientific Committee (SC-CAMLR XXXII, paragraph 3.76) is to characterise the local toothfish populations found there to better understand stock structure, movement patterns and improve estimation of population characteristics predicted by Ross Sea spatial population models. Additional outcomes of the research relate to mapping the bathymetry of the fishable area, documenting relative abundance of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish, tagging toothfish for biomass estimation and for stock linkage studies, and collecting information on distribution, relative abundance, and life history of bycatch species.

Life history characteristics of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), were evaluated using otolith microchemistry techniques. Our aims were to (i) determine whether fish from in CCAMLR SSRUs 88.1C (Ross Sea) and 88.2H (Amundsen Sea), could be differentiated by the trace elemental concentrations in the otolith edge and then to (ii) assess the potential of natal signatures to distinguish  stocks among these regions. For the elements (Mg, Al and Sr) spatial variation in otolith chemistry was shown. This resulted in the correct classification of 63% of fish overall to their original capture sites. Discrimination of otolith natal signatures using Al:Ca and Zn:Ca showed greater classification success (79%), compared to the otolith edge which suggested the majority of fish from SSRU 88.1C and 88.2H show similar patterns of structuring consistent with their known capture location, indicating they may have used different spawning habitats between areas. PCA analyses of natal signatures apportioned in total 83% of fish from both SSRU 88.1C and 88.2H to 88.1C. The remaining group consisted entirely of individuals from SSRU 88.2H (17%), suggesting SSRU 88.2H fish may have used different spawning habitats. However, given these analyses only included adults, further investigations using a larger sample base of both adults and juveniles collected from shelf and slope regions within SSRU 88.1 and 88.2 would provide stronger evidence of structuring between these regions.

This paper presents the data and assessment approach for the revised stock assessment for Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides, at Heard Island and the McDonald Islands (HIMI) in CCAMLR Division 58.5.2. Since the last assessment in 2013, an extensive program for ageing otoliths has been launched, length-at-age has been re-estimated, and research into tag-recapture data has started. We have therefore made substantive progress in addressing the main points raised during WG-FSA 2013 for the next stock assessment.