CCAMLR

Compilation of information and work pertaining to the krill fisheries in CCAMLR waters is presented, including:
• A report on catches for the last, complete season (2002/03) and an update on catches for the current season (2003/04);
• Measures of overlap between the krill fishery and krill predators;
• A revised plan for the krill fishery in Area 48.

The CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program uses indices derived from data on indicator species and the environment collected by standard methods within the three Integrated Study Regions of the Convention Area. Each year the Secretariat updates the standardised index values and provides a summary of trends and anomalies in these data. In addition, developments during the intersessional period are reported.

A history of development and completion of tasks put forward by WG-EMM is summarised for the period from 2001 to 2003 (SC-CAMLR-XXI, Annex 4, paragraph 6.41). This is a new series of records since the adoption by WG-EMM in 2001 of a new five-year plan of work. A history of tasks for the period from 1995 to 2001 is archived in WG-EMM-02/12.

While much remains unknown about seamount communities, scientific evidence suggests that high seas bottom trawling may have significant and irreversible impacts on the diversity and ecology of seamounts and other similar hard bottom communities.

Summary Tables of existing, and some proposed, Antarctic protected areas which contain marine habitat.

This report presents data on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) catches in the areas of vessel operations, biological state of krill, results of identification of the principal size groups with the aim of defining their belonging to specific generations. It gives the analysis of the weather and ice conditions, assessment of krill abundance in aggregations and of fisheries situation in subareas 48.2 and 48.3 in 2003 compared to the previous years.

The Secretariat was tasked with maintaining a register of the wide range of non-CEMP time series data that were of utility in support of the work of WG-EMM, including datasets derived from South African and French seabird and pinniped monitoring programs in the southern Indian Ocean (SC-CAMLR-XXII, Annex 4, paragraph 2.10). Non-CEMP data of interest are listed in Tables 1 -3.

A draft revised Management Plan for ASPA 149 is being considered through an intersessional contact group formed during the 2004 meeting of the CEP/ATCM. Since a marine area is included in the plan, approval is required by CCAMLR. It should be noted that this area is also a CEMP site (Conservation Measure 91-02 (2000)). The draft management plan for ASPA 149 was prepared in accordance with the provisions of Annex V to the Environmental Protocol and consistent with the Guide to the Preparation of Management Plans for Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. In preparing the draft plan, a detailed assessment of the values of the site and of the measures necessary to protect the site was undertaken. A field visit was made to the site in February 2001 to verify information and to ensure that the information in the draft plan is accurate and up-to-date. The boundaries of the site have been revised in this draft Management Plan to include a larger marine component and to incorporate the two new sites where plant fossils were discovered. The site (9.7 km2) now comprises the entire Cape Shirreff peninsula north of the permanent Livingston Island ice cap, the San Telmo Island group, and the surrounding and intervening marine area enclosed within 100 m of the coast of the Cape Shirreff peninsula and of the outer islets of the San Telmo Island group. The boundary extends from the San Telmo Island group to the south of Mercury Bluff, and includes the adjacent part of the Livingston Island permanent ice cap where the fossil discoveries were recently made. Wildlife population estimates were updated where possible. Original values to be protected were reaffirmed, although specific references to plant and invertebrate communities were removed because no data were available to substantiate the presence and extent of these communities. Waste disposal policies were updated. Specific air access guidelines were added to the plan, including preferred flight paths, designated landing areas, and a no-fly zone over wildlife concentrations. Maps were updated to reflect these changes, and improved with current mapping technology and additional labeling of important features.

This paper summarises the notifications received.

The seventh consecutive season of data collection at Cape Shirreff has enabled us to examine trends in penguin populations, as well as inter-annual variation in reproductive parameters, penguin diet, and foraging behaviour. The chinstrap breeding population at Cape Shirreff has continued to decline over the past five years, and is at its lowest size in the past seven years of study. While the gentoo breeding population increased slightly from last year, it is at its second lowest size in the past seven years. Chinstrap fledging success was higher during the 2003-04 breeding season than in the previous season, but lower than the average for the past seven years. Gentoo fledging success in 2003-04 was greater than in 2002-03, and was either similar to or greater than the seven-year mean, depending on methodology used. Fledging weights of both species increased from last year, but were below the eight-year mean for this parameter. Total chick meal mass was larger in both species compared to the past seven years study. Chinstrap penguin diet contained more fish than in other years on average, while gentoo diets contained less fish. The majority of the krill in chinstrap diets were in the 36-45 mm range; the majority of krill in gentoo diets were in the 41-55 mm range. This is the first season where the two penguin species have selected different sized krill during the chick-rearing period. Foraging trip durations during the chick phase were longer than during the 2002-03 breeding season. The interpretation of the foraging trip behaviour may be clarified when we finish our analyses of the PTT derived, at sea foraging locations used by chinstrap and gentoo penguins during this period.