The high-profile chase and sinking of the Thunder was just one of many important enforcement actions taken against vessels suspected of engaging in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing this year. ASOC and COLTO commend the cooperation between states, organizations and NGOs that led to these successes. There are a number of additional ways that CCAMLR could enhance its ability to prevent IUU fishing and ensure compliance with CCAMLR conservation measures. These include: the development of enhanced procedures for tracking vessel movements; implementation of a modern, flexible and traceable Catch Documentation System (CDS) and adoption of additional measures for overseeing transshipments; participation in satellite enforcement initiatives; intensification of action on nationals of CCAMLR Members potentially involved in IUU fishing; and improvements in the effectiveness of the IUU vessel lists.

ASOC strongly supports the decision of ATCM XXXVIII to hold a second joint workshop between the CEP and SC-CAMLR on climate change. In this paper, we suggest some ways to ensure successful outcomes for the workshop, including:  agreeing on a scientific baseline; compiling overviews of existing efforts; basing the joint work programme on the CEP’s Climate Change Response Work Programme; determining a process for information updates and exchange; considering mechanisms for temporary protection of areas affected by rapid climate events such as the collapse of an ice shelf; considering possible measures and decisions where climate change information would be required by the ATCM and CCAMLR; and facilitating the contribution of relevant observers and experts to the workshop. Coordination on this important issue is the only way that the ATS will develop an organized, responsive approach to addressing the impacts of climate change on the Antarctic environment.

Taking into account the practice and current state of krill fishery in Area 48, Ukraine proposed to consider the Conservation Measure 51-07(2014) in order to redistribute the trigger level of catch in 620 000 tonnes between Subareas in Area 48 in a new percentage limits and to encourage vessels to produce food for human "direct" consumption from krill. This revision will still enable to follow the precaution conservation principles of the Convention and in the same time will not inflict an economic damage to the krill fishery.

Regarding the low levels of stocks of Dissostichus spp. and the high levels of IUU fishing, CCAMLR decided to close the fishery in 2002 in division 58.4.4. Since 2008 only one vessel, Shinsei maru No. 3, had conducted research fishing in accordance with a research plan submitted under CM 24-01. In 2014, WG-FSA agreed research fishing conducted in the research blocks C and D by two vessels using longlines: Shinsei Maru No. 3 (Japan) and the Saint André (France). For the season 2014/15, the catch limit for Dissostichus spp. is 25 tons for SSRU C and 35 tons for SSRU D. France notified its intention to achieve a robust stock assessment that would provide advice on a catch limit according to CCAMLR decision rules. This paper aims to present a research plan for 2015/2016 that takes into account the remarks made during the WG-FSA 2014. In SSRU 58.4.4D, tag recaptures are insufficient (the first tag recaptures were obtained in 2014), and consequently stock abundance (around 800 tonnes) has been estimated using the ‘CPUE seabed area analogy’ method. The biomass in division SSRU C was estimated during WG-FSA 2014 using a CASAL model constructed for D. eleginoides. The vulnerable biomass was estimated around 700 tonnes. CASAL model is updated with 2014 data but in the absence of an assessment using the CCAMLR decision rules, the catch limit should remain unchanged at 32 tonnes for 2015/16 to maximize the expectation of tag-recapture.

Since entered in the krill fishery in the 2009/10 fishing season, China has made every efforts to ensure maximum coverage possible and high quality scientific observation throughout Chinese krill fishing activities. The Bureau of Fisheries (BoF), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) of P. R. China has developed a comprehensive scientific observer training program and assignment scheme. During the past six fishing seasons, training courses were provided to the crew members, company managers as well as scientific observers at least once each year; 28 scientific observers were deployed on board 19 vessels/seasons out of the total 23 vessels/seasons in the fishery; the annual vessel coverage ranged from 66%-100%, with a six year mean of 82%. Scientific observer logbooks and cruise reports were submitted to the CCAMLR secretariat.

In Division 58.4.3a, since 2012, research fishing has been conducted in the research block by two vessels using longlines: Shinsei Maru No. 3 (Japan) and the Saint André (France). The catch limit for Dissostichus spp. is 32 tonnes and the total reported catch up in 2013/2014 was 32 tonnes. France notified its intention to continue its exploratory fishery over the coming years in order to achieve a robust stock assessment that would provide advice on a catch limit according to CCAMLR decision rules. This paper aims to present a research plan for 2015/2016 that takes into account the remarks made during the WG-FSA 2014. The objective is to spread fishing effort over across the whole fishable area and to progress on the robustness of the CASAL assessment. The biomass in division 58.4.3a was estimated during WG-FSA 2014 using the Petersen estimator at 386 tonnes. In the absence of an assessment using the CCAMLR decision rules, the re-estimation of the geometric mean of Petersen biomass estimates is used as the estimate of biomass for this division in 2015. Given this analysis estimated biomass at 419 tonnes, which was similar to the 386 tonnes, the catch limit should remain unchanged at 32 tonnes for 2015/16 to maximize the expectation of tag-recapture.

Due to uncertainties in Antarctic krill stock, which do not allow scientists to develop comprehensive system of Feedback management of krill fishery and to provide work on forecast of the ecosystem changes that has been mentioned at the Warsaw 2015 Meeting of the WG-EMM, Ukraine suggest the draft of the changes to CCAMLR Conservation Measure 51-06(2014) be considered in order to make the scientific observation system in the krill fishery mandatory.

The stock of Antarctic toothfish in the CCAMLR subarea 48.4 was conservatively estimated using the Chapman method as 621 tonnes. At a harvest rate of γ = 0.038 this would indicate a 2015/16 yield of 24 t for the Antarctic toothfish in the region, compared to the previous 2014/15 estimation of 28 tonnes.

In January 2015 the UK undertook a bottom trawl survey of CCAMLR sub-Area 48.3 on the FV New Polar. A total of 77 random and representative hauls were completed giving good geographic coverage and encompassing depths between 108 and 352m. The overall biomass of mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari) was calculated at 48,543 tonnes with a lower 1-sided 95% interval estimate of 29,300t. Mackerel icefish density was low on the fishing grounds of the North West stratum but higher at the western end of the Shag Rocks shelf.

Euphausia superba dominated the overall diet of mackerel icefish although differences between area strata were evident. In the South West region the amphipod Themisto gaudichaudii was the dominant diet item with T. gaudichaudii and Antarctomysis sp. comprising the majority of the diet in the South East.

Catches of juvenile Dissostichus eleginoides were dominated by fish of 43-48cm (TL) indicating the presence of a strong cohort of age 3+ fish. Estimated biomass for the other icefish species indicated a small decrease since the 2013 survey. However the estimated biomass of Notothenia rossi was over three times higher than that obtained in 2013.

HD camera footage was obtained from a headline mounted camera at 12 trawl locations.

According to the Antarctic Treaty, which came into force in 1961, Antarctica is an area free from military and industrial activity. International cooperation is aimed at the development of scientific research and biological resources in the Southern Ocean. The regulations on such activities are set forth in the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and are governed by the Commission (CCAMLR). Due to the problem of natural resource depletion and the imminent expiration date of the Antarctic Treaty, nations are more actively showing an interest in this region and participating in dialogue on the establishment of a system of special-use areas in the Ross Sea and East Antarctica. The establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) implies a ban on the conduct of scientific and fishing activities, thereby ruling out the presence of many countries in Antarctica. Moreover, reducing the number of research programmes could lead to an even more acute lack of data on the function of ecosystems in and the impact of climate change on the Southern Ocean, and, as a result, the conservation of Antarctic bioresources becomes impossible. Instead of MPAs, the Russian Federation proposes to establish Areas of Special Scientific Interest in three sectors of Antarctica.