This paper provides an assessment of the impact of the commercial fleet on the krill population in different months during the 1987 to 1990 fishing seasons within Subareas 48.2 and 48.3. During this period catches reported by the Soviet fleet amounted to more than 95% of the total catch. The calculations were based on haul-by-haul data from the Soviet fleet, using a probability statistical theory of fishery systems developed at AtlantNIRO. The impact of the commercial fleet on the krill population – on biomass and the density of krill aggregated in the fishing grounds – was assessed using data from 22 800 hauls.

The results of this study indicate that during periods of maximum fishing intensity, the Soviet fishing fleet had no impact on the krill stock or, consequently, on krill-dependent predators. It is concluded that although there is a spatial overlap of the dependent species and the fishery, this is not sufficient to amount to a functional overlap.