Understanding the fishing behavior of a kind of fishery is a very important part of developing and managing this fishery comprehensively. In this paper, based on the random walk model, the relationship between distance and frequency distribution of the adjacent krill fishing positions were analyzed in the subareas of the Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR subareas 48.1, 48.2 and 48.3). The frequency of distances between consecutive hauls shows a heavy-tailed distribution, which can be used to calculate the value of the parameter μ according to the power function f (l) ~ l^-μ of random walk to determine which random walk patterns the Chinese krill fishing fleet belongs to. The results show that the behavior of the Chinese krill fishing fleet is consistent with the Lévy random walk model.

In 2014, the Scientific Committee endorsed a proposal from South Africa that the Secretariat be tasked with developing a proposal for funding support from the Global Environment Facility to build capacity among GEF-eligible CCAMLR Member countries to strengthen their participation in CCAMLR (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII, paragraph 10.30).  This report updates CCAMLR Members on developments during 2017.  This includes the approval of the Project by the GEF Council at its meeting in May 2017, subsequent work that will be associated with developing the full Project Document over the next 12 months and seeks further guidance on the role of the Project in the work of CCAMLR.

Based on the discussion at EMM 2016 we here present challenges, results and potential of using a net cable to inform crew and scientists on trawl performance. Some results from ongoing tests demonstrate its potential in allowing observations of trawl in relation to krill distribution and behaviour, including real time imaging of krill and predator behaviour in relation to fishing gear during experiments. Due to the vessel-and gear differences of Saga Sea and Antarctic Sea presently using the continuous trawling method they require different solutions to operate an instrument cable. This paper therefore clarifies alternative approaches and suggests for Antarctic Sea the option of attaching the net cable to other operational cables of the trawl system thus avoiding a free third cable.

Information about catch and effort from the fishing fleet is vital for evaluation of the management of krill. The continuous trawling method requires adapted reporting procedures compared to traditional trawling. The present reporting procedure of 2-hour intervals has demonstrated imprecise and with some systematic errors in positioning the catch. In previous EMM meeting we proposed extending reporting frequency to 6-hour intervals to remove some of the methodological negative impacts on the quality of catch data. In this paper, we report a new evaluation of the reporting method. We find that it is possible to maintain present reporting frequency with improved positioning of the catch, but at the cost of a high uncertainty in the individual 2-hour catches. We still consider a 6-hours reporting interval more relevant for the purpose of producing relevant, reliable catch information until alternative approaches using instrumented observation of krill density in the mouth opening of the trawl as a measure to predict spatial catch distribution.

In the report we inform shortly on the activity in the Ukrainian Vernadsky Antarctic Station area on service of CEMP cameras and installation ARGOS satellite tags in penguin colonies as part of the CEMP projects run by USA, Argentina, Poland and Ukraine 'Establishing a CEMP Camera Network in Subarea 48.1' and 'Tracking the overwinter habitat use of krill dependent predators from Subarea 48.1'. In season 2016/17 biologists winteres made service for nine cameras and downloaded pictures of 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons from cameras installed in penguine colonies at Petermann, Yalour and Galindez Islands. Cameras overwintered succesfully and data for full breeding cycle of penguin in 2016/17 season have been collected. Fifteen ARGOS satellite tags have been installed in the adult gentoo penguins in Galindez Island colony. Photo sequences for all breeding activity at three sites have been processd partly only due to late arrival of Ukraine expedition to Kyiv. The training of new winterers-biologists who will work at Vernadsky in 2017/18 season has been provided for CEMP methods and for visual observations in Galindez colony for future camera validation

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and salps are major macroplankton contributors to Southern Ocean food webs and krill are also fished commercially. Managing this fishery sustainably, against a backdrop of rapid regional climate change, requires information on distribution and time trends. Many data on the abundance of both taxa have been obtained from net sampling surveys since 1926, but much of this is stored in national archives, sometimes only in notebooks. In order to make these important data accessible we have collated available abundance data (numerical density, no.m−2) of postlarval E. superba and salp individual (multiple species, and whether singly or in chains). These were combined into a central database, KRILLBASE, together with environmental information, standardisation and metadata. The aim is to provide a temporal-spatial data resource to support a variety of research such as biogeochemistry, autecology, higher predator foraging and food web modelling in addition to fisheries management and conservation. Previous versions of KRILLBASE have led to a series of papers since 2004 which illustrate some of the potential uses of this database. With increasing numbers of requests for these data we here provide an updated version of KRILLBASE that contains data from 15194 net hauls, including 12758 with krill abundance data and 9726 with salp abundance data. These data were collected by 10 nations and span 56 seasons in two epochs (1926–1939 and 1976–2016). Here, we illustrate the seasonal, inter-annual, regional and depth coverage of sampling, and provide both circumpolar- and regional-scale distribution maps. Krill abundance data have been standardised to accommodate variation in sampling methods, and we have presented these as well as the raw data. Information is provided on how to screen, interpret and use KRILLBASE to reduce artefacts in interpretation, with contact points for the main data providers.

This study aims to improve understanding of spatial and temporal variability in krill fishing activity in MPA Planning Domain 1, towards the development of a ‘cost layer’ and additional information for use in Marxan analyses and subsequent MPA planning activities. We provide further detail on the location of areas of high concentration of krill catches or ‘hotspots’ in current fishing activities, by examining variability in catch locations and magnitude across an 11-year period from 2005/2006 to 2015/2016.We also analyze the distribution of fishing hotspots at different time scales in Domain 1 and investigate whether these could be incorporated into a single cost layer that adequately accounts for the variability in fishing dynamics, to assist in the MPA planning process. We conclude that the development of a single cost layer that adequately represents fishery patternsfor Domain 1 is not feasible; however, krill fishing catch and effort information is an integral part of the Domain 1 MPA planning process and should be incorporated into the consideration ofrequired management provisions once priority areas for conservation have been identified.   

This report summarizes the results of a series of international workshops specifically develop to assist in the Domain 1 MPA planning process, including the 2012 - First International Workshop held in Valparaiso, Chile, (WG-EMM 12/69); the 2013 – Binational Workshop (Chile-Argentina) held in La Serena, Chile (WG-EMM 14/40), the 2015 - Second International Workshop for identifying Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Domain 1 of CCAMLR held in Buenos Aires, Argentina (WG-EMM 15/42); and the 2016 - Informal Workshop on Domain 1 MPA held in Bologna, Italy (WG-EMM 16/73).

This report has been compiled by the authors based on expert discussions held during the above workshops. The list of participants for these Workshops can be found in Annex 3.

This draft is aimed to describe the process for the designation of an MPA in Domain 1 led by Argentina and Chile. The process has resulted in the compilation, analysis, integration and display of a large amount of information, not only contributing to the best science available but also providing a platform for the sharing and visualization of information. We highlight the multinational approach in all stages of the decision making process towards identifying Priority Areas for Conservation (PAC) in Domain 1. A technical description of the software and analyses used for the identification of the PAC is provided. Thereafter, considerations of both ecological and management components are described to finally arrive to a Domain 1 MPA model to be discussed among members during the EMM-2017. The MPA management will be done in accordance with the Objectives of the Convention. Having in consideration all the issues mentioned above, a multinational Research Steering Committee is proposed in order to engage all interested Members in the discussion and development of a Research and Monitoring Plan, thus reaching the best available solution for the management of the proposed MPA, one that takes into account conservation objectives, as well as other ecosystem services, such as krill fishing.

With the recommencement of commercial krill (Euphausia superba) fishing in CCAMLR Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2, off the coast of East Antarctica, Australia is adapting the risk assessment framework used in Area 48 to assess the risks involved in any redevelopment of a krill fishery and evaluate whether the current management procedure has a high likelihood of achieving CCAMLR’s objectives in this region. This paper describes the first steps to populating the risk assessment framework with the best available scientific data on abundance of krill predators, foraging activity and the historical distribution of krill catch and effort. We have pulled together an initial collection of existing krill predator distribution models and have produced new preliminary models for krill and various predator species. We request the Working Group review this work, prioritise data sets and further analyses, and consider a process to allow the completion of a first risk assessment for the krill fishery in this region in the near future.