CCAMLR

Krill stock composition and distribution patterns in the vicinity of Elephant Island during austral summer 1991/92 and 1992/93 are described and compared with information from previous years. The general distribution of krill length and maturity classes conformed to previous descriptions and appears to be a recurring and predictable aspect of the krill stocks in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The length frequency distributions and maturity stage composition reflected relatively good year class success from the 1990/91 spawning season but poor success from 1991/92. Year class success from these and other years appears to be associated with female maturity development and spawning during early summer months. The overall abundance, maturity stage composition and reproductive activity of krill appeared to be affected by dense salp concentrations during 1992/93 and 1989/90.

The competition between Japanese krill fishery and penguins during their breeding season (December-March) in the South Shetland Islands (Subarea 48.1) was assessed based on available information on fishery, penguins and krill biomass. The catch is very low in December followed by roughly equivalent amount (3,000-10,000 t/10-day) for the following three months, with its increased fishing intensity to the shelf and slope of Livingston or Elephant Island. In contrast, the food consumption by penguins is estimated to be large in the shelf and slope near King George Island (11,680 t/10-day), whereas small near Livingston (2,570 t/10-day) and Elephant (220 t/10-day) Islands. This little overlap between the main fishing and foraging areas implies less competitive relationship between fishery and penguins. Estimated krill biomass varies considerably within the favorite fishing areas due to the movement of krill into and out of the area, but high krill biomass (100-1000 x103t) usually existed there. Compared with the amount of biomass (100-1000 x10 3t) and the degree of its variability (the order of 100 x10 3t/10-20 day), the present catch rate (≤10 x103t/10-day) is smaller by one or more orders of magnitude within the localized areas. Hence, from the view point of the quantity of catches as well, present fishery is very unlikely to have an adverse impact on the local krill biomass and hence on penguins.

Data collected during the krill target strength experiment [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 87, 16-24( 1990)] are examined in the light of a recent zooplankton scattering model where the elongatedanimals are modeled as deformed finite cylinders [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 86, 691-705 (1989)].Exercise of the model under assumption of an orientation distribution allows absolutepredictions of target strength to be made at each frequency. By requiring that the differencebetween predicted and measured target strengths be a minimum in a least-squares sense, it ispossible to infer the orientation distribution. This useful biological quantity was not obtainablein the previous analysis which involved the sphere scattering model.

Acoustic surveys are the most powerful tool of krill abundance estimation and distribution mapping. The International Community needs to prepare standard requirements and procedures for acoustic instrumentations to be used, as well as for survey design, data acquisition, processing, storing and analysis. In the paper possibilities and approaches to preparation of recommendations for acoustic surveys of different scales (macro, meso, micro) are reviewed. It’s concluded that the most items of the recommendations and standard procedures could be prepared and agreed basing on existing experiences and approaches to survey design and data analysis. The paper could be considered as a base for critical discussions of the recommendations to be prepared by international group of specialists.

Data on distribution and biomass of E.superba aggregations at Atlantic sector and near adjacent waters (subregions outside of the Scotia Sea are under pecular attention) are observed. Concentration of E.superba of the same order of biomass volume as in the Scotia Sea were observed at several subregions along the peripherie of Weddell Gyre and also nearshore of Antarctide. Offshore concentrations of E.superba show increased spatial irregularity. Development of fisheries activity in these new for catching areas should include the preliminar getting of knowledges on changeability of E.superba aggregation distribution prior to practical using of observed pattern of that changeability. It requires of additional complex of investigations, which should be directed to the evaluation of drift ways of E.superba as well as related changeability of aggregation location in the open-ocean environment. Exploitation of offshore aggregations of E.superba will be connected with regular search activity prior as well as at the course of every fishery season (year).