Under Conservation Measure 41-01 (Annex C - Tagging Program for Dissostichus spp. in Exploratory Fisheries), the flag States of fishing vessels participating in exploratory fisheries are responsible for ensuring the tagging of Dissostichus spp., tag recovery and correct reporting. At CCAMLR XXVI (2007), “the Commission requested the Secretariat to annually prepare and submit a table for SCIC’s consideration containing data on individual Dissostichus spp. tagged and released, and the tagging rate reported by vessels operating in the exploratory fisheries” (CCAMLR-XXVI Report, paragraph 8.12). It is expected that the data will be made available to SCIC at this year’s meeting. Australia undertook an assessment of compliance with the CCAMLR tagging program based on information contained in the Fish Stock Assessment Report 2007 and discovered a high level of non-compliance. The lack of reliable information can affect stock assessments and therefore impact on the ability of the Commission to meet its objectives of conserving marine living resources. Australia considers that non-compliance with research obligations is a significant issue and should be considered further by the Commission, including adopting appropriate and proportionate mechanisms to ensure compliance.

Currently all Contracting Parties and non-Contracting Parties cooperating in the Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) are using the electronic web-based format for reporting. Australia proposes to amend Conservation Measure 10-05 (CM10-05) to remove redundant provisions and provide clarification on electronic reporting.

Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing vessels are increasingly using gillnets as a fishing method to target toothfish in the Convention area. Estimating the impact of IUU fishing is hampered by a lack of data on the design, deployment, catch and bycatch rates of gill nets. This paper describes a gillnet found abandoned by Australian vessel patrolling BANZARE Bank (Statistical Division 58.4.3b), and the toothfish and bycatch found when a section of the gillnet was retrieved. Based on the amount of toothfish found in the 8 km long section of net retrieved, upwards of 29 tonnes of toothfish may be removed by a single vessel’s deployment of a 130 km long series of gillnets.

At CCAMLR XXIX (2010) Australia presented the ‘ Proposal for a general conservation measure to implement a Representative System of Antarctic Marine Protected Areas (RSAMPA) in CCAMLR by 2012, including management arrangements needed in conservation measures that will govern the RSAMPA in the future’ (CCAMLR-XXIX/38 Rev. 1). This proposal is a revision of that presented to CCAMLR XXIX and takes into consideration comments received from Members during CCAMLR XXIX and in the intersessional period. As in other overarching measures (such as Conservation Measure 41-01 General measures for exploratory fisheries for Dissostichus spp. in the Convention Area), a general conservation measure could provide the framework of common actions and requirements for the declaration, administration and management of CCAMLR marine protected areas (MPAs). Paragraph 1 of the draft general measure, which outlines the objectives to be achieved through MPAs, is based on Scientific Committee endorsed advice from 2005, specifically SC-CAMLR-XXIV, paragraph 3.54. Australia is of the view that the adoption of this draft measure will provide a solid and transparent foundation for establishing a system of CCAMLR MPAs by 2012.