CCAMLR

This report describes and quantifies occurrences of fishing gear, marine debris and oil associated with seabirds at Bird Island, South Georgia from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. It is the fourteenth such annual report. As in previous years, more items of marine debris and fishing gear (mostly longline fishing gear) were found in association with wandering albatrosses than with any other species. The total number of items encountered (n =170) increased after a recent short-term decline with large numbers of fishing hooks and line (n=70) recovered from wandering albatross chick regurgitations reflecting discard of used baited hooks at sea. Entanglements continue to be observed with hooks being typical of those used in the Patagonian Toothfish industry.

During the sixteenth year of standardised beach surveys of man-made debris at Bird Island, South Georgia, a total of 544 items were collected, the highest number of debris collected since 1995/96. Compared to the previous recording period, 170% more items were collected during winter and 101% more during summer, a mass increase of 1.19kg overall (29%). For the third consecutive year, nylon line was absent from Bird Island, an encouraging result after the peak of 546 pieces in 1995/96. However plastic packaging bands are still regularly recovered. In the reporting period 16 pieces were found, more than in any of the previous 9 years, suggesting that the ban on their use aboard fishing vessels brought into force by CCAMLR in 1995/96 has yet to prove entirely effective. Sixty-nine pieces of multifilament (multi-strand) gillnet were found on the survey beach this year (mainly in winter) compared to 11 in 2004/05. Miscellaneous debris comprised the greatest proportion of items (84% of the total).

The current status of national programmes on monitoring of marine debris and their impact on marine mammals and seabirds in the Convention Area has been reviewed. The CCAMLR Marine Debris Database contains data from 13 sites, most within Area 48. There are 4 active sites that have data for more than 3 consecutive years, these are: Bird Island, (South Georgia); Signy Island, (South Orkney Islands), King George Island, (South Shetland Islands) and Marion Island. The number of beached marine debris items reached a peak in the period 1994-1996 at Bird Island and Signy Island, but declined after that. The number of debris items has increased at Bird Island in 2006 and Signy Island in 2007, but decreased at King George Island in 2007. The majority of items reported were packaging materials, fishing gear and wood. Packaging items make up the majority of debris items reported from all three seasons at Marion Island. The most common packaging item is plastic soft drink bottles. Conservation Measure 26-01(2006) clearly prohibits vessels to use packaging bands to secure bait boxes and restricts their use for other purposes to vessels with on-board incinerators (closed systems) into which they should be placed once removed from packages. So it is a concern that packaging bands are being found during beach surveys at Bird Island and Signy Island and that Antarctic fur seals are being reported as entangled at Bird Island by packaging bands. The conservation measure also instructs vessels to cut the bands before incinerating them yet closed packaging bands are still being reported as debris from Bird Island. The level of marine debris found in grey-headed albatross and wandering albatross colonies at Bird Island in 2007 has increased. Debris from black-browed albatross colonies at Bird Island in 2007 has remained low. Fishing gear such as lines and hooks and miscellaneous broken plastics continue to form the major part of the debris associated with seabird colonies. Data were received from Palmer Station, Anvers Island for the 2007 season for two species of seabird. This was the first submission from this site. Marine mammal entanglement at Bird Island increased dramatically in 2007 with 58 reports of Antarctic fur seal entanglements. The most common marine entanglement materials were synthetic string or longline, packaging bands and fishing net. The number of seabirds contaminated with hydrocarbons remains low.

At CCAMLR-XXV, the Scientific Committee noted that the implementation of the observer program and the application of observer requirements could be improved by adopting a standard approach to education and training for observers in these fisheries (SC-CAMLR-XXV, paragraph 2.11). A review of current levels of education and training for observers was undertaken by the Secretariat. Information provided by participating Members was reviewed and common elements, differences and gaps in existing national programs were identified. Nine main aspects of training and education considered important for scientific observers were identified, these are: role of the scientific observer; vessel and fishing operations; catch estimation; gear configuration; species identification; sampling techniques and requirements; data handling and reporting procedures; sea survival and safety; and the CAMLR Convention and CCAMLR conservation measures in force. The Secretariat believes that in order to achieve a consistent approach to education and training for scientific observers, Members would need to: further develop and agree upon a set of training and education standards; consider ways to meet and maintain these standards; and develop a method of providing recognition to national programs that meet these standards. Adopting a consistent approach to education and training for observers would improve the CCAMLR Scheme for International Scientific Observation. Also to improve observer data quality, Members could convene training workshops for national technical coordinators, as has been discussed previously (SC-CAMLR-XVII, Annex 5, paragraph 3.79, SC-CAMLR-XX, Annex 5, paragraph 3.50), and/or increase their attendance at the meetings of WG-FSA and WG-IMAF.