This paper presents the diagnostics associated with the 2021 48.3 Patagonian toothfish assessment.

Assessment of the Patagonian toothfish (D. eleginoides) in Subarea 48.3 indicates that the current status of the stock is at 47% of B₀. Projections indicate that a constant catch of 2,072 tonnes in the 2022¹  and 2023 seasons would be consistent with the CCAMLR decision rule after accounting for recent mammal depredation rates.

The assessment would lead to a recommendation from Working Group FSA to Scientific Committee that the catch limit for D. eleginoides in Subarea 48.3 should be set at 2 072 tonnes for 2021/22 and 2022/23.

¹  The seasons are labelled according to calendar year in which the season finishes e.g. the 2020 season refers to the season from 1^st December 2019 to 30^th November 2020.

A summary of the intersessional work and discussion by the Risk Assessment e-group.

We provide an update on the implementation of the risk assessment in Subarea 48.1 resulting from discussions held during WG-EMM 2021. We have used track changes when adding textual changes incorporated since WG-EMM and all figures have been updated. In this version, we use an updated layer for winter krill density, evaluate some new scenarios and also include some sensitivity analyses.

We have applied the risk assessment framework, developed by Constable et al. (2016), to Subarea 48.1, with the aim of identifying the most appropriate management units by which to spatially distribute the local catch limit for the commercial fishery for Antarctic krill. We use the best available data for implementing the approach which was endorsed by the Commission in 2019. The framework is flexible and can accommodate new data to improve estimates of risk in the future.

We evaluated 36 catch distribution scenarios for assessing risks from krill fishing in Subarea 48.1. For each scenario we calculated the regional baseline risk, and the regional desirability risk. Baseline risk is defined as the risk to predators and krill and is based on predation pressure and the proportion of juvenile krill in each management unit. Desirability risk is defined as the risk to predators and krill as for the baseline risk, but also accounting for the desirability of a management area to the fishery i.e. more catch may be attributed to areas where the fishery has previously fished (desirable areas) than in the baseline scenario. We show that the spatial distribution with which the fishery currently operates presents some of the highest risks of all scenarios evaluated. Managing the fishery at much smaller scales has the lowest risk but may necessitate a high level of management interaction with the fishery.

This implementation can provide advice to CCAMLR for short-term management and could provide a template for the rest of Area 48. We highlight that each data layer impacts the outcome of the risk assessment and recommend that updated estimates of the distribution, abundance and consumption of krill, and estimates of available krill biomass will be key as CCAMLR moves forward to develop a longer-term management strategy.

A benefit of the risk assessment framework is that CCAMLR now has a tool for direct comparison of risks associated with alternative catch distributions at an appropriate spatial scale for management. We suggest one approach for choosing between scenarios, based on regional risk (either baseline or desirability).

We provide advice about the scale at which the krill fishery can be managed, but highlight important issues that should be discussed, including uncertainty, before CCAMLR agrees the design of spatial management units. We highlight that for the Risk Assessment to give a robust estimate of risk then it is important that the management units are at a similar scale as fishery operations. If management units are large, and the fishery operates in just a small portion of a particular unit, then the measure of risk estimated by the Risk Assessment will not reflect the risk posed by the fishery in that management unit.

Finally, we highlight that our endeavours have been the result of a community effort and we are grateful to those that have provided data and advice.

Es indispensable definir claramente toda unidad de ordenación espacial de las pesquerías de la CCRVMA. A fin de facilitar el desarrollo de un nuevo enfoque de ordenación del kril en la Subárea 48.1, se presentan los límites de las cinco unidades de ordenación propuestas, incluidos los cuatro estratos del Programa de los EE. UU. sobre los Recursos Vivos Marinos Antárticos (US AMLR), que han sido modificados con el propósito de facilitar la ordenación, y un estrato adicional adyacente a los US AMLR, incorporado como medida proactiva ante la necesidad de ordenar la pesquería de kril en el área del estrecho de Gerlache. Se exponen, también, los fundamentos de la modificación de los estratos US AMLR y la delimitación del nuevo estrato. Asimismo, se incluye el área de la superficie marina de los 5 estratos para facilitar su consulta.

The CCAMLR Statistical Subarea 48.3 icefish assessment was conducted by applying the standard projection methodology that has been agreed for this stock by CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its Working Groups. The stratified bootstrap of UK 2021 demersal fish survey icefish catch density and catch rate data indicate a precautionary biomass estimate of 22,047 tonnes (lower one sided 5th percentile: 13,279 tonnes) within Subarea 48.3. Projections for the 2022 and 2023 seasons applying the CCAMLR Decision Rule imply catch limits (TAC) of 1,457 tonnes for 2022 and 1,708 tonnes for 2023.

The assessment would lead to a recommendation from Working Group FSA to Scientific Committee that the catch limit for C. gunnari in Subarea 48.3 should be set at 1 457 tonnes for 2021/22 and 1 708 tonnes for 2022/23.

Resulta indispensable comprender y abordar los efectos del cambio climático en el océano Austral para poder manejar los riesgos sobre los recursos vivos marinos antárticos, tarea que cae dentro de las competencias de la CCRVMA. Alentamos al Comité Científico a continuar incorporando las consideraciones sobre los efectos del cambio climático en el asesoramiento de ordenación que ofrece a la Comisión. Para facilitar dicha labor, recomendamos que el Comité Científico apruebe la incorporación de los términos de referencia propuestos para el grupo web sobre los efectos del cambio climático y su relación con la labor de la CCRVMA (Climate change impacts and CCAMLR) que se describen a continuación. Asimismo, recomendamos aprovechar este grupo web para continuar desarrollando actividades específicas destinadas a identificar e integrar los resultados de los estudios científicos de interés sobre el cambio climático en la labor del Comité Científico y sus grupos de trabajo. Esto permitirá al Comité Científico evaluar los riesgos planteados por el cambio climático y garantizar que la Comisión tome medidas para dar tratamiento a dichos riesgos de manera oportuna.

CCAMLR Conservation Measure 25-03 prohibits the use of net monitoring cables within the Convention Area. Chinese and Norwegian krill trawlers have been granted an exemption from this CM for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 fishing seasons in order to map interactions between seabirds and the net monitoring cables that are rigged on vessels using the continuous pumping method. These trials will also help to evaluate whether further measures are appropriate and if current methods for routine observations performed by dedicated SISO observers on board can be improved. This paper presents the method used in the fishing season 2020-21. The final method design has been developed through previous discussions in WG-FSA, SC, through a dedicated e-group facilitated by CCAMLR and through discussion meetings on Teams from November 2020 to April 2021.

In 1991, CCAMLR adopted Conservation Measure (CM) 25-03, which prohibits the use of net monitoring cables in the Convention Area and applies to all trawling techniques. The establishment of this CM was a consequence of concerns over seabird mortalities resulting from collisions with net monitoring cables in fisheries. Technology has progressed since the introduction of this CM and the trawlers currently involved in the krill fishery that use continuous pumping methods differ in methodology from the fisheries that initially led to the establishment of it. The main change is that the part of the monitoring cable exposed in air is considerable shorter and represents no longer a separate wire in between the warps but attached to, or close to, the warp itself. In modern trawl fisheries the use of a monitoring cable enables expanded data flow which helps improve fishing efficiency, catch reporting, reduces negative ecosystem impact and increases crew safety. Some of the concerns regarding net monitor cables may be less significant now, and so Chinese and Norwegian vessels that use continuous pumping technology were permitted a derogation of the CM, allowing net monitor cable trials for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. This report presents the results from the 2019-20 fishing season (Jan-Oct) from three vessels (two side-trawlers and one stern-trawler) using the continuous pumping fishing method from CCAMLR Area 48. The study was undertaken in full compliance with the requirements of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee (SC) (SC-CAMLR-38, paragraph 5.14) and data were collected according to standard SISO warp monitoring and Incidental Mortality Associated with Fishing (IMAF) protocols, and followed methods required by the derogation. Abundance estimates of birds, not required by CCAMLR, were obtained while fishing within Subarea 48.3. Seabird mitigation measures used on all three vessels were determined by ACAP best-practice guidelines. A combination of deck observations and video monitoring were used to observe warps and monitoring cables and a total of 1,193 hours of observations were made, representing 4.5% coverage of the total fishing time. Four 15-minute observations were performed at set times each day, and deck observations included three 15-minute observations during turns and other high-risk events, or random periods during trawling. All sets and hauls were also monitored. No heavy bird strikes were observed with the net monitoring cable on either of the side-trawlers. One heavy ‘aerial’ (interaction with the monitoring cable in the air and hits the water with little to no control of its flight) contact was observed on the stern trawler, but with no confirmed injury or death. One contact was also made with the mitigation device, i.e., an equal number of contacts as with the net monitoring cable. In conclusion, this report demonstrates that for both types of trawlers (side and stern), the risk for seabirds in connection with interactions with the monitoring cable is minimal. All human activity has an impact on nature and biodiversity to some degree but must be attempted to be kept as minimal as possible. The warp and monitoring cables on the stern trawler may be interacting with birds catching up with the vessel from behind, and it may be possible to improve the mitigation design for stern trawlers using continuous pumping methods. The greater efficiency and targeted fishing enabled by vessels using this continuous pumping method can reduce the climate footprint. We ask WG-FSA to consider advising the Scientific Committee and the Commission as to revise CM 25-03 to allow the use of a net monitoring cable, with mitigation measures as requested by the derogation.

Si para el 1 de diciembre de 2021 no se asigna una distribución en el tiempo y en el espacio para la captura total admisible de kril antártico (Euphausia superba) en el mar de Scotia, se pondrá en peligro la consecución del objetivo de la Convención sobre la Conservación de los Recursos Vivos Marinos Antárticos. El objetivo declarado en la Convención es la conservación (CCAMLR 1980), y la disposición de ordenación que reparte las capturas de kril por todo el mar de Scotia vence en el mes de noviembre. Esta disposición mitiga el riesgo de que la concentración de la pesca tenga efectos negativos sobre los depredadores del kril. A menos que los 26 Miembros de la Comisión para la Conservación de los recursos Vivos Marinos Antárticos (CCRVMA) alcancen un consenso para ampliar esta disposición o tomen una decisión alternativa que limite de manera efectiva la concentración de la pesca, es probable que algunos depredadores del kril sufran efectos adversos. En términos más generales, si la CCRVMA no actúa para diversificar la huella de la pesquería de kril, consideramos que este sistema socio-ecológico perderá capacidad de adaptación al cambio climático. Si no se adopta otra distribución espaciotemporal de las capturas, es de importancia vital que se mantenga la actual estrategia de ordenación, tan deficiente como pueda ser, con el fin de prevenir una deriva que nos aleje de la conservación.