CCAMLR

Results of the survey of entanglements of Antarctic fur seals at Bird Island, South Georgia for thetenth consecutive winter (1999) and twelfth consecutive summer (19999/2000) are reported here. Only six entangled seals were observed during the winter, representing a 53% decrease from1998 and a 94% decrease on the highest previous total (1992). Four of these animals wereentangled in plastic packaging bands, double that observed in the 1998 winter, and a return to thehigh levels observed before the CCAMLR prohibition on their use in1994. The number ofanimals showing severe injuries was down on the 1998 winter. The number of seals observed entangled in the summer was the second lowest recorded to date,being 42% lower than in the 1998/99 season. The proportion of adult animals affected was down1% on the previous summer and constitutes the lowest total recorded. The proportion of animalsshowing severe injuries (21%) is down 4% on the previous year and is the second lowest total onrecord. The number of entanglements in polypropylene straps showed an increase by12.5% onthe 1998/99 season. The low occurrence of entanglements in summer and winter has continued the downward trendin numbers since the peak in the early 1990's. Incidences of severe injury have also decreased. Entanglements in polypropylene bands comprise the major proportion of observations, despitethe ban on their use introduced by CCAMLR. This highlights the need for sustained monitoringand continuing publicity aimed at preventing the disposal of debris at sea.

This paper provides the background essential to an informed evaluation of the financial and other consequences attached to various schedules and locations for the holding of meetings of the Working Group for Ecosystem Monitoring and Management (WG-EMM). It is concluded that the holding of WG-EMM meetings in Hobart will only result in relatively minor financial savings (A$347-613) per Member and would probably have serious consequences for the work of the Scientific Committee as a whole. Other possible savings are considered.

CCAMLR’s Working Group on Ecosystem Monitoring and Management wasestablished to provide management advice to the Scientific Committee based on anecosystem assessment. Currently, management advice is provided by a yield model,which assumes a freely distributed krill population, homogeneously distributed predationpressure and randomly determined recruitment. The effects of uncertainty with regard toinput parameters are included, but spatial and temporal trends in krill demographics,predator demand and fishing pressure are not. However, WG-EMM also maintains amonitoring program that could provide some of the information necessary to implement amore robust ecosystem approach to management. A strategic plan for assembling thesecomponents was developed at the first meeting of WG-EMM and considerable progresshas been made on a number of contributing initiatives. WG-EMM currently considers awide range of information in order to derive a qualitative description of the status of theecosystem and appropriate management actions. A full management scheme – whichwould 1) consider quantitative information from the fishery, harvested species, dependentspecies and the environment; 2) invoke a set of management decision rules based on thisinformation; and 3) determine the likely effects of management actions given theuncertainty in the information – has yet to be completely developed. Recent discussionsat WG-EMM regarding its future work and the implications for the format and venue ofits meeting are reviewed. It is recommended that the development of an integratedmanagement scheme for krill fisheries can be best achieved by involving a wide range ofexperts both from within and outside of the CCAMLR community, and that this may bebest accomplished by changing the format of the meetings and maintaining a movingvenue. Implications of these recommendations are briefly considered.