CCAMLR

Japan and South Africa initiated a multi-year research plan in Statistical Subarea 48.6 as outlined in CM 41-04 (2012 & 2013) during the 2012/13 fishing season. Progress achieved during the 2012/13 season and the first seven months of the 2013/14 season are reported. This paper updates and replaces WG-SAM-14/10.

Over the first 19 months of the Research fishery a total of 279 Dissostichus eleginoides and 2161 D. mawsoni have been tagged and released, and 42 tagged toothfish have been recaptured. Even though almost 50% of the recaptures are within season the progress in the northern section of Subarea 48.6 is encouraging. By the end of the 2014/15 fishing season there should be sufficient data to undertake tag-based assessment of the Dissostichus resource in the north of Subarea 48.6.

We express concern over the rise of IUU activity in Subarea 48.6 and the possible negative consequences for the resource and the research being undertaken.

This paper summarises the data collected by Scientific Observers operating in the Convention Area on board longline and finfish trawl vessels during the 2014 season (based on data received by the Secretariat up to 01 Oct 2014).

Information on observer coverage, incidental mortality (including the implementation of mitigation related CMs), tagging and conversion factors is presented.

This paper is Part 3 of an update of the draft MPA Report for the East Antarctica Planning Domain presented in paper WG-EMM-14/48 following advice from WG-EMM in 2014. The rationale for the three parts is provided in SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/38. This paper provides a more detailed account of research and monitoring in the East Antarctica Planning Domain and how this can form the basis of a research and monitoring program to support the East Antarctica Representative System of Marine Protected Areas. It is an update of SC-CAMLR-IM-1/BG/1, which was submitted to the first intersessional meeting of the Scientific Committee in Bremerhaven, Germany in 2013. Research and monitoring in East Antarctica for the purposes of CCAMLR, at present, relates to assessing the distribution and productivity of target species - Antarctic toothfish and krill - and krill predators - penguins - in the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program. These research activities are expected to continue. When adopted, the proposed East Antarctica Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (EARSMPA) will require the establishment of a research and monitoring plan (RM Plan) related to the management and review of the MPAs. We show how the scientific initiatives currently underway in the region could be used as a foundation for a RM Plan for the EARSMPA. All Members are invited to participate in the research and monitoring activities, particularly through these initiatives. This paper is structured to first provide the text from the draft conservation measure for the EARSMPA on the priority elements of the RM Plan. Second, summaries are provided of initiatives currently underway that could provide research and monitoring in the region. Last, we assess which parts of the RM Plan would benefit from the outcomes of the initiatives.

This paper is Part 2 of an update of the draft MPA Report for the East Antarctica Planning Domain presented to WG-EMM in 2014 (WG-EMM-14/48). The draft MPA Report for the East Antarctica Planning Domain submitted to WG-EMM in 2014 was regarded as a suitable synthesis of papers previously submitted and reviewed by the Scientific Committee, Working Groups and workshops since 2010. It has been updated following advice from Members of WG-EMM in 2014.  This updated report is provided in three parts: Part 1 - The planning domain and seven candidate MPAs (WG-EMM-14/48, Sections 1, 2, and 3), Part 2 - Descriptions of the proposed EARSMPA, the four highlighted MPAs and Activities in the Planning Domain (WG-EMM-14/48, Sections 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8), and Part 3 - Research and Monitoring (WG-EMM-14/48, Sections 1 and 9). Parts 1 and 3 are presented in SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/38 and SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/40 respectively.
 

A draft MPA Report for the East Antarctica Planning Domain was submitted to WG-EMM in 2014 (WG-EMM-14/48). It was regarded as a suitable synthesis of papers previously submitted and reviewed by the Scientific Committee, Working Groups and workshops since 2010. It has been updated following advice from Members of WG-EMM in 2014. This updated report is provided in three parts: Part 1 - The planning domain and candidate MPAs (WG-EMM-14/48, Sections 1, 2, and 3), Part 2 - Description of the proposed EARSMPA, the individual MPAs and Activities in the Planning Domain (WG-EMM-14/48, Sections 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8), and Part 3 - Research and Monitoring (WG-EMM-14/48, Sections 1 and 9). This paper provides the first part, with the following sections:  (1) Introduction, (2) Objectives for the planning domain, (3) Description of the planning domain, (4) Method for determining candidate MPAs, (5) Identification of candidate MPAs, (6) Analysis of outcomes, (7) Data holdings at the Secretariat. Parts 2 & 3 are presented in SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/39 and SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/40.

This paper presents correlative species distribution modelling methods that could be used to predict the circumpolar distribution of habitat suitability for Antarctic toothfish. Potential environmental covariates that could be included in these models are presented for discussion and feedback, as are the types of CCAMLR data (i.e. presence of the species and/or attributes) and modelling algorithms that may be included in future work. Methods for dealing with issues such as sampling bias in model fitting, extrapolation in model predictions and spatial sorting bias in model evaluation are also suggested and highlighted for discussion. Preliminary results are provided to demonstrate the application of two methods (BIOCLIM and Maxent). For simplicity models included two environmental covariates (bathymetry and latitude) and default model settings were used. Evaluation of prediction accuracy included a select number of test statistic (i.e. AUC, max Kappa and point-biserial correlation) with some preliminary consideration of spatial sorting bias.