Exploratory fishing for toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) in Division 58.4.1 began in 2003. Robust stock assessment and catch limits according to CCAMLR decision rules remain to be determined for this Division. France notifies its wish to collaborate in this research fishery with the other participants over the coming years in order to participate in the tagging program and achieve a robust stock assessment. The aim is to collect sufficient data to provide an advice on a catch limit according to CCAMLR decision rules. This paper presents a proposal for a research plan for 2016/2017 developed under Conservation Measure 41-11. The biomass for each in the Division was estimated during WG-FSA 2015 using CPUE x seabed analogy. In the absence of an assessment using the CCAMLR decision rules, the catch limit should remain unchanged at 660 tonnes for 2016/17 to maximize the expectation of tag-recapture and the approach of allocation and collaboration between Members should be maintained.
In the 2012/13 fishing season Spain began the implementation of a multi-annual Research Plan for Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 in order to estimate local biomass of Dissostichus spp. by means of two methods: depletion and tagging. Although a big effort has been placed for their accomplishment, results have to be analyzed in the coming months but some doubt about the reliability of data could be express due to accessibility problems by the ice cover and traces of IUU fishing found in the proposed areas. Together this analysis and considering that a single member proposal could not be enough to provide a reliable data set to lead to an integrated stock assessment of the target species, Spain intends to conduct research fishing during the 2016/17 season in the 58.4.1 Division following the same scheme that other member’s previous proposals with small modifications in order to expedite the realization of a toothfish stock assessment in this so called poor-data division.
