CCAMLR

This paper highlights ASOC’s concern that research under Conservation Measure 24-01 and exploratory fishing conservation measures are not meeting the objectives of the Convention. Research and exploratory fishing activities are not increasing our understanding of the fished species and its impact on the ecosystem, putting the future of Antarctic marine living resources at risk.

The Second Performance Review and several Scientific Committee working groups have raised concerns regarding the current approach to research and exploratory fishing within the CCAMLR Area (SC-CAMLR XXXVI/01, SC-CAMLR XXXVI, WG-SAM-18). ASOC strongly supports the need to address these concerns and recommends that CCAMLR:

• Form regional high-level strategies detailing relevant area-based objectives, priorities, research plans, and reporting requirements.
• Establish clear standardised requirements for research, new, and exploratory fishing including the restriction of research fishing under CM 24-01 to non-commercial research surveys.
• Align all current and future new or exploratory fishing activities with research priorities set regionally.

This paper outlines the specific research objectives and plan to achieve them for the third and final year of an agreed 3-year longline survey, in the wider context of connecting the recently undertaken surveys in Subarea 48.2 with the established fishery in Subarea 48.4. The overall research objectives include determining population connectivity between these Subareas, improving understanding of Dissostichus spp population structures in this region, and improving available data on bathymetry and associated distributions of benthic bycatch species. This paper reiterates the key points of WG-SAM-18/15, and addresses update requests made at WG-SAM-18. The survey includes a three-year data collection and two-year data analysis plan leading towards the development of a stock hypothesis for the eastern regions of 48.2 and southern regions of 48.4.

This paper provides a summary of research projects led by Italy in the frame of PNRA (Italian Programme of Researches in Antarctica) that are relevant to monitoring and research in relation to the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area. The inventory includes: (1) research to establish “baseline” environmental and ecological conditions in the Ross Sea region; (2) “process-based” research to understand environmental and ecological processes and interactions. The intention of this paper is to present the information so that it is useful to researchers in different ways. First, to help researchers to identify existing PNRA data for retrospective analysis. Second to identify Italian scientists and research expertise to stimulate and facilitate new international agreement on collaborative international research on the Ross Sea Region.

The vessel bearing IMO No. 9319856, and which has been provisionally allocated the name Pescacisne I in Chile's Registry of Large Vessels, has been on CCAMLR's NCP-IUU vessel list since 2008. This vessel was acquired by the Chilean company Pesca Cisne S.A., which has provided background information showing that it has no shared interests legal, financial or juridical with the former owners of the vessel, namely Eastern Holdings Limited and High Mountain Overseas S.A.

Chile, as a Member of CCAMLR, and as the state of the new owner of the vessel bearing IMO No. 9319856, requests that the vessel be removed from the NCP-IUU vessel list, based on the fact that the conditions stated in paragraph 18 of Conservation Measure 10-07 (2016) are met, which the information contained in this application shows.

We note that the vessel is currently not flagged to any country. In the past, a request for registration and flag made to Chile was denied in compliance with Conservation Measure 10-07 (2016), given that the vessel was included in the NCP-IUU vessel list. Once the vessel is removed from CCAMLR's NCP-IUU vessel list, Pesca Cisne S.A. intends to register it in Chile, request that it be flagged and use it for fishing activities in waters under Chilean jurisdiction, in accordance with the relevant domestic regulations.

The multi-year variability of the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) size composition in longline catches in the South Georgia maritime zone   in context of  the fishery  management is discussed.

The quality of observer’s data is obviously a very important point to produce the best advices on fishery management. This paper presents the use of an application on smart phone to help observers memorizing species name.

Data collection at sea is based on forms provided by CCAMLR. This paper provides  proposals for future changes in the skipper’s forms to be considered by the working group.

The key issues for development of krill fishery management schemes based on the ecosystem approach and proposal to generate baseline data in the context of addressing these problems are considered.