CCAMLR

Summary of catches from directed fishing on toothfish, icefish and krill in the Convention Area in 2014/15 and 2015/16, including catches taken during scientific surveys conducted in accordance with Conservation Measure 24-01. Catches reported in 2014/15 were published in the CCAMLR Statistical Bulletin, Volume 28. Catch totals for the current season (2015/16) are preliminary and based on data reported to 14 September 2016. Closures of fishery management areas implemented by the Secretariat in 2015/16 are also summarised.

The 2015-16 season has seen further significant progress in the fight to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Southern Ocean. This paper outlines the action Australia has taken as part of its compliance program, and in cooperation with South East Asian countries through the Regional Plan of Action to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices including Combating IUU Fishing (RPOA-IUU), with other CCAMLR members, and with other countries more broadly. The paper notes that international cooperation continues to be instrumental in combatting IUU fishing in the CCAMLR Area.

As requested by members at WG-FSA 15, the Secretariat has collated existing materials to develop a bycatch guide for commonly caught fish and skate species in CCAMLR longline and trawl fisheries. The guide consists of comprehensive descriptions for 21 species, and two additional appendices which contain detailed descriptive keys for Macrourid (Grenadier) identification, and for juvenile fish caught in the CCAMLR krill fishery. The Secretariat thanks members for access to materials, and for reviewing the draft version of this guide. Additionally, images in this guide have been provided for the identification training tool developed by Mr N. Gasco (WG-FSA-16/11) for improved observer bycatch education.

The annual random stratified trawl survey (RSTS) of 2016 at HIMI was conducted during April, with the completion of 163 stations. The survey was conducted for the second year on the FV Atlas Cove. Sampling protocols such as the design and the duration of the hauls were similar to last year’s survey, but with a new set of randomly selected station points.

The calculated density of D. eleginoides was half that of 2015 but similar to that of the long-term average for the survey. The C. gunnari density was five times that of 2015 and nearly three times the average. For the managed bycatch species catch rates were lower than the average for macrourids, close to average for C. rhinoceratus and only one-third the average for L. squamifrons. Conversely, the density of aggregated skates was higher than both 2015 and the long term average. The catch of invertebrates in the 2016 survey was two times higher than average, due in part to the greater abundance of jellyfish, which was almost five times higher than average. Length measurements were taken for nearly 19,000 fish and biological measurements for more than half of those. Otoliths were collected from 813 D. eleginoides and over 400 toothfish were tagged and released.

The core effort of Oceanites and its Antarctic Site Inventory project is discerning how Antarctic species are changing in distribution and abundance, and more importantly, identifying factors driving long-term changes in the western Antarctic Peninsula ecosystem.  This paper provides background information on the history of Oceanites and the Antarctic Site Inventory, links to key scientific papers and other publications, results from the most recently concluded 2015-16 field season, plans for the forthcoming 2016-17 field season, and data analyses currently underway.