CCAMLR implements a range of measures to support the conservation and management of Antarctic marine living resources. These measures seek to minimise the impact harvesting activities may have on the sustainability of target species, on species taken incidentally as by-catch and on the marine ecosystems.

CCAMLR seeks to ensure compliance with conservation measures in force through a range of fisheries monitoring and compliance tools, including the Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) for Dissostichus spp. (toothfish).

There are two species of toothfish, Patagonian (Dissostichus eleginoides) and Antarctic (Dissostichus mawsoni). Toothfish are large pelagic predators belonging to the cod icefish family.

Patagonian toothfish is also called bacalao, bar du Chili, butterfish, Chilean sea bass, loup de mer chilien, merluza negra, mero, ròbalo and snow fish.

Antarctic toothfish is also called Antarctic blenny, Antarctic cod, bar du Chili, Chilean sea bass, loup de mer chilien, poisson Mawson and Mawson’s toothfish.

The CDS is implemented to track toothfish from the point of landing throughout the trade cycle and seeks to encompass all toothfish landed and traded by participating States.

The CDS requires participating States to identify the origins of toothfish entering their markets and to determine if toothfish that was harvested in the CAMLR Convention Area, and is landed or imported into their territories, was caught in a manner consistent with CCAMLR conservation measures.

The CDS is supported by the electronic CDS (e-CDS) that is a user-friendly web-based application. The e-CDS is used to create, validate and store Dissostichus Catch Documents, Dissostichus Export Documents, Dissostichus Re-Export Documents and Specially Validated Dissostichus Catch Documents.