CCAMLR

CCAMLR has agreed to consider and develop a feedback management approach for the krill fishery. Such a management approach may also require the development of a new or extended monitoring programme for dependent species, especially if the krill fishery is to operate over large spatial scales and in areas where no existing monitoring, including CEMP monitoring, is present. Here we consider some of the issues associated with the development of a new monitoring programme, outlining one possible approach. We encourage others to consider how other approaches may be developed so that CCAMLR is able to compare different possible approaches, considering the costs and benefits and trade-offs associated with each. We propose that CCAMLR consider the merits of different approaches over the next two years, so that it can agree a way forward and make best use of the recently established CEMP Fund.

Understanding the equipment used and the data handling capability of the krill fishing vessels is important background information in considering the implementation  of potential data collection protocols for use by the fishery. 

The Scientific Committee has requested SG-ASAM to provide advice on the collection and processing of acoustic data from fishing vessels.  Some krill fishing vessels are equipped with scanning or multi-beam sonars.  Here I highlight a recently published analysis technique - an adaptation of distance sampling theory - that provides a general means for estimating krill density and biomass from vertically oriented multi-beam echo-sounder data.  I describe an extension to this approach that may, subject to the constraints of krill target strength models, acoustic instrument stability, and survey design allow the use of data observed with horizontally oriented multi-beam and scanning sonars to contribute to krill abundance estimation.