CCAMLR

We made an attempt to estimate krill commercial biomass density within the fleet operation areas and compare it with critical density values for marine animals feeding on krill. The results of acoustic investigation obtained in the Soviet trawler operation areas in Subareas 48.1-48.4 were used. We also analyzed commercial statistics data, including haul by haul data from Soviet trawlers numbering 22000 hauls for the period of 1986-1990 and those from Ukrainian trawlers for the period of 2001 and 2002 (2380 hauls).
In the course of the recent twenty years, krill has been fished in the areas with biomass density of at least 100 g/m2. This threshold value of krill commercial biomass considerably exceeds a critical value of krill density for aquatic animals feeding on krill and has been estimated at 24 g/m2 (Boyd, 2001). As is evident from comparison of above density values, the fleet and dependent predators will have different density niches.

Presented are the results of krill acoustic survey carried out by Russian RV Atlantida on the South Georgia shelf within the 500-m isobath. The survey was made during the period from February 14 to March 5, 2002. Average krill density in the survey area was estimated at 45.45 g/m2 and total biomass at 1,898,492 ton. The analysis of krill aggregation distribution was made for identification of potential fishing grounds. Also presented are the results of density assessment on potential fishing grounds and a map of their location. Location of potential fishing areas is still another evidence of the fact that no sustainable commercial aggregations are formed during critical period for animals feeding on krill in the area of the South Georgia western extremity where main feeding grounds serving their needs for food exist.

Given the importance and interdependence of diet studies to monitoring work, we compared data on the stomach contents and food load masses among three species of Pygoscelis penguins during chick rearing over the 20-year period from 1981 to 2000. All three penguin species were largely dependent on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), which accounted for over 93% of each species’ diet by frequency of occurrence and mass. Gentoo penguins ate significantly more fish than either congener, specifically the benthic Nototheniid species, while Adélie and chinstrap penguins largely ate two species of pelagic fishes, Pleurogramma antarcticum and Electrona antarctica. All species exhibited significant inter-annual variability in mean food load sizes during chick rearing and there was a high degree of coherence among the three species in the years of high versus low food loads. Adélie and chinstrap penguin adults experienced significant declines in body weight during the chick provisioning period in several of the latter years of the study, suggesting food availability may have declined significantly between the earlier 1980s and the more recent 1990s periods. This conclusion is supported by annual US Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) marine surveys in the area. Finally, we examined the digested portion of the stomach contents and noted a significant increase in the proportion of digested versus fresh stomach contents as the season progressed and as chick food demands increased. We propose that the digested contents of a penguin’s food load has more than twice the caloric value of a comparable mass of fresh krill in the same bird’s stomach. This allows Pygoscelis penguins to significantly increase the caloric value of food brought to their chick per foraging trip. We discuss the energetic consequences of this hypothesis to the energy balance of the birds provisioning chicks and we point out the implications of this finding for past and future studies of penguin energetics using the Doubly-labeled water technique.

A compilation of information and work pertaining to the krill fisheries in CCAMLR waters in presented, including:
• A report on catches for the last, complete season (2001/02) and an update on catches in the current season (2002/03);
• Further development of measures of overlap between the krill fishery and krill predators;
• An updated plan for the krill fishery in Area 48;
• information on the potential of krill products as aquafeeds.

As part of the preliminary analyses undertaken in preparation for the CEMP Review Workshop, the Secretariat has documented serial correlation in time series of CEMP indices. The values input to the serial correlation analysis were the ‘transformed’ annual index values reported in WG-EMM-03/24.
Serial correlation in biological indices occurred in 4, 10 and 33 % of the time series at alpha levels of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 respectively. Generally, serial correlation appeared more prevalent in time series from black-browed albatross and Antarctic fur seal, and from the CEMP Indices A1, A3, B1a and C2b.
Serial correlation in environmental and fishery indices occurred in 23, 38 and 55 % of the time series at alpha levels of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 respectively. Generally, serial correlation appeared more prevalent in time series from CEMP Indices H3b and F2c.

A series of power (sensitivity) analyses of CEMP indices was made using the DOS-based software MONITOR (J. P. Gibbs, 1995). In all, 170 time series were investigated for their power to detect change over the range –10% to +10% of a mean survey value. Each run of MONITOR involved the calculation of power for 3 survey scenarios and 3 alpha levels (0.05, 0.10 and 0.20). The 3 surveys scenarios were chosen to represent time series data from annual surveys conducted annually over periods of 5, 10 and 20 years.
Generally, time series arising from 5 annual surveys provided little power to detect change, and CEMP indices A3 (delta log transform), A8a (no transform), A8c (log odds transform), B1a (delta log transform), B1b (log odds transform) and C2b (no transform) performed poorly as indicator of change. However, changes within the range –10% to +10% can be detected in indices A1, A2, A5a, A7, A8b, C1 under the survey scenarios of 10 and 20 years and alpha levels of 0.05 or greater.

The CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) was established in 1985 with the aim to detect and record significant changes in critical components of the Antarctic ecosystem, and to differentiate between changes due to commercial harvesting of resources and those arising from natural variability. This paper provides general, background information on CEMP including approximate straight line distances between the main sampling sites, the location of sites with respect to small-scale management units and the matrix of data submitted to the Secretariat.

The CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program uses indices derived from data on indicator species and the environment collected by standard methods within the three Integrated Study Regions of the Convention Area. Standardised index values are re-calculated each year as new data become available, and trends and anomalies in these data are presented.

A history of development and completion of tasks put forward by WG-EMM is summarised for the period from 2001 to 2002 (SC-CAMLR-XXI, Annex 4, paragraph 6.41). This is the first set or records since the adoption by WG-EMM in 2001 of a new five-year plan of work. A history of tasks for the period from 1995 to 2001 is archived in WG-EMM-02/12.

The proposed terms of reference of the WG-EMM Advisory Subgroup on Protected areas are presented "in a manner that properly places the tasks in context" of CCAMLR decisions (SC-CAMLR- XXI, paragraph 5.15; SC-CAMLR-XXI, Annex 4, paragraph 5.15).