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.

Research program in the Weddell Sea in season 2015/2016 and the following seasons presented by the Russian Federation was prepared in accordance with recommendations of the Scientific committee (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII, 2014, par. 3.233) and originates from the program developed by the Russian Federation and adopted by the SC in 2012 (WG-FSA-12/12). Past WG-SAM-2015 (Warsaw, Poland) made no scientifically-supported comment regarding the presented document (WG-SAM-15/18). The only note was that consideration of the Russian program could be continued after completing analysis of the data from f/v “Yantar-35” obtained by the vessel in 2014. But, the Convention and Conservation Measures in force (Schedule of Conservation Measures …, 2014) do not prohibit conducting research and investigation in parallel as unrelated processes.

This paper describes an update to the CASAL assessment of Patagonian toothfish (D. eleginoides) in Subarea 48.4. The assessment data time series are updated with the observations for the 2014/15 season and several minor changes to the assessment are made: revision of tagging and recapture data for the full time series, a revised maturity ogive, and changes to the assumed tag growth retardation period. Stock projections indicate that the stock is in healthy condition and that an annual yield of 47 tonnes is consistent with the application of the CCAMLR harvest control rule. Data deficiencies and areas for future work to further improve the assessment are identified.

Russian Federation is going to continue investigation for toothfish in Ross Sea in fishing seasons 2015-2018. The present program aims to recapture tagged fishes released during the implementation of the previous research program took place in 2010-2012 fishing seasons and investigate resource potential and life cycle of Dissostichus species within the eastern part of the Ross Sea over shelf and continental slope within the Subarea 88.2 A. The present document is a new edition of the CCAMLR Document WG-SAM-15/21 revised in accordance with the WG-SAM recommendations (WG-SAM-15, pp. 4.37-4.42).

At its 2014 meeting, WG-FSA recommended that details of fishing gear used in trawl surveys (in addition to longline research) should be submitted to the CCAMLR fishing gear ‘library’ (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII p 3.76). This paper provides detailed diagrams of the FP-120 net which has been used for sampling demersal fishes on the UK groundfish survey in CCAMLR subarea 48.3 since 1991.

A stratified bootstrap of icefish catch density based on the UK 2015 demersal fish survey catch rate data indicated a biomass of 59,081 tonnes (lower one sided 5^th percentile: 36,530 tonnes) within Statistical Subarea 48.3. Projections for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons applying the CCAMLR harvest control rule lead to catch limits (TAC) of 3,461 tonnes for 2015/16 and 2,074 tonnes for 2016/17.