This paper describes experiments and plans for development of an acoustic sensor to support  precise catch reporting for the continuous krill harvesting fishery. 

Low catch limits for forage species are often considered to be precautionary measures that can help conserve marine predators. Uncertainty about the impacts of fisheries removals on dependent predators bolsters this perspective, but consideration of the spatio-temporal scales over which forage species, their predators, and fisheries interact can aid assessment of whether low catch limits are as precautionary as presumed. Antarctic krill are targeted by the largest fishery in the Southern Ocean and are key forage for numerous predators. Current krill removals are considered precautionary and have not been previously observed to affect krill-dependent predators, like penguins. Using a hierarchical model and 30+ years of monitoring data, we show that expected penguin performance was reduced when local harvest rates of krill were ≥ 0.1, and this effect was similar in magnitude to that of poor environmental conditions. With continued climate warming and high local harvest rates, future observations of penguin performance are predicted to be below the long-term average with a probability of 0.77. Catch limits that are considered precautionary for forage species simply because the limit is a small proportion of the species’ standing biomass may not be precautionary for their predators.

This paper presents two new observer manuals for finfish and krill fisheries. The manuals include updated information on identifying and sexing target catch species, provide guidance on standard tasks and requirements for observers as well as supplementary information to aid data collection requirements. In addition a new version of the observer longline logbook is presented, with additions to allow data collection for a focussed skate tagging programme in the Ross Sea, beginning in the 2020 season.

We provide a final report on the CEMP Special Fund project ‘Developing an image processing software tool for analysis of camera network monitoring data’. The project was initiated with support from the CEMP Fund in 2015/16. An earlier version of the software developed prior to receiving CEMP Fund support has been superseded with a new version which has additional image-processing, data-processing and data-reporting features. These features, combined with new R code written to reformat generalised output tables for specific CCAMLR needs, will allow a seamless transition from image processing to estimation of CEMP parameters that is consistent with recent agreed changes to estimation methods and CEMP data forms for data obtained from remote camera networks. We are pleased to report that the software, which we have named SPPYCAMS (Seabird & Penguin Population dYnamics Camera Analysis & Monitoring Software) is now available for use by the CCAMLR camera community.

We used long-duration, deep-diving (1000 m) hybrid gliders (Slocum G3, Teledyne Webb Research), equipped with a suite of oceanographic sensors (CTD, fluorometers, and oxygen) and a three-frequency (38 kHz, 67.5 kHz, and 125 kHz) single-beam Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler (AZFP) to conduct biomass assessments of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in the Bransfield Strait and the west shelf of Livingston Island, Antarctica. Two gliders were deployed for 82 and 88 days, respectively, between mid-December 2018 and mid-March 2019. We compare mean biomass density (g m^-2) estimates derived from gliders to those from ship-based surveys historically conducted by the U. S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program at several temporal and spatial scales to explore the feasibility of using gliders to replace vessel-based biomass surveys. In the Bransfield Strait, glider-based biomass density estimated from 350 glider profiles was 25.0 g m^-2, compared with the mean biomass density of 28 g m^-2 collected over 13 years of ship surveys. On the west shelf of Livingston Island, glider-based biomass densities estimated from two repeat glider surveys were 61.04 and 104.1 g m^-2. Mean biomass density estimates from broad-scale surveys conducted by the U.S. AMLR Program were 55 and 43 g m^-2, for January and February surveys conducted between 1997 and 2011. The mean biomass density of krill derived from restricting from the area of ship surveys to overlap with the area surveyed by the glider was 79 g m^-2.  Mean biomass density estimated from small-scale nearshore surveys conducted by the U.S. AMLR Program from 2005 to 2007, which overlapped spatially with the glider-based surveys, was 82 g m^-2.  Developing a proper statistical model for the variance estimators from glider-based biomass surveys will require further work. However, these data show that acoustically-equipped glider surveys can provide defensible estimates of krill density and distribution, sufficient to inform management, and should allow the continuation of time series monitoring that has historically been conducted by ships.

In the summer season of 2019 (February-April), acoustic and underwater studies of the seabed off the Argentine Islands were continued. The purpose of these studies was further development of a network of underwater testing sites in the water area of the Argentine Islands.

We present a revised draft Research and Monitoring Plan (RMP) for the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf MPA, with the aim of further harmonizing CM 91-03 and CM 91-04. The draft RMP is based on the draft initially proposed in 2014 (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/11) and revised in 2018 (SC-CAMLR-XXXVII/09). It aims to address the requirements of CM 91-04, and takes account of general principles from the Ross Sea region MPA RMP (SC-CAMLR-XXXVI, paragraphs 5.39 to 5.42), as well as recent general discussions on the development of RMPs. The plan outlines research and monitoring topics relevant to specific MPA objectives. A project list and a list of baseline data relevant to the designation and review of the SOI SS MPA are appended. We request that WG-EMM considers and provides advice to the Scientific Committee on whether the draft RMP meets the requirements of CM 91-04, or on how it may require further development.

Fast climate changes in the Antarctic Peninsula are reducing krill density, which, by its turn, is reflected in penguin population dynamics. The increased concentration of fishing activities in this area in the last two to three decades is believed to have feedbacked the impacts of climate change over penguin populations. We used almost 40 years of data on fishing activities and on penguin population monitoring to test this assumption. We found that fisheries in Antarctic Peninsula are shifting from being more frequent in the chick-rearing to the non-breeding season. We found that increases in fishing catch during the non-breeding period are likely to have a significant impact on chinstrap populations, and a non-significant impact on gentoo populations. Fisheries and climate change together decreased consistently the population growth rate of penguins: very high catches and very low values of the southern annular mode reflected in very low growth rate for the three species.

The first annual meeting of the SCAR Krill Action Group (SKAG) met in Concarneau France on June 15^th and 16^th, 2019. The meeting focused on several topics including the identification of important knowledge gaps in krill research that could provide data in support of the management needs of CCAMLR.

This paper provides a summarized description and analysis of the activities carried out by the Chilean krill fishing ship Antarctic Endeavour throughout its first year of operation (2017-2018), which was mainly destined towards testing its fishing systems and new equipment installed for the production of krill meal. Effort, catch and CPUE, and the length frequency distributions of captured krill are recorded per trip and Subarea. Additionally, information is given on the yield obtained in meal production and the conversion factor determined in the reduction process. Finally, movements of the ship between extraction zones during each fishing trip are described