The biomass of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in CCAMLR Subarea 48.4 is estimated from tagging returns, giving a geometric mean of 1,311 tonnes since 2016. Applying the CCAMLR agreed precautionary assumption of a 5-year geometric mean biomass, and harvest rate of γ = 0.038, implies a 2022 yield of 50 tonnes.

Historically, a precautionary approach has been applied in treating the 48.4 Antarctic toothfish as a separate stock. Based on the biological characteristics of the catches in Subarea 48.4, and the surrounding regions, the Antarctic toothfish around the southern South Sandwich Islands are now hypothesised as being part of a much larger stock that extends south into Subareas 48.2, 48.6 and possibly 48.5. The current method of assessment, based on tag returns, consequently, is considered to provide an estimate of the local biomass.

The assessment would lead to a recommendation from Working Group FSA to Scientific Committee that the catch limit for D. mawsoni in Subarea 48.4 should be set at 50 tonnes for 2021/22.

Pygoscelis papua (gentoo) penguin colonies count at GAI CEMP site has been provided during 2020/21 breeding season. The penguin count by visual observations have been performed at Galindez Island. The detailed observation of gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) birds arrival, nesting, hatch and crèche has been provided in two colonies at GAI CEMP site (GBV, GPP1, GPP2) at Galindez Island nearby the Akademik Vernadsky station. The fourth year of data validation experiment has been provided for pictures from time lapse cameras of the CCAMLR CEMP camera monitoring project of at Galindez Island gentoo penguin colonies. During the 2020/2021 season, the winterers at Vernadsky station, Galindez Island, fulfilled every day observations of gentoo nests in the two sites where the automatic time lapse cameras installed. The results of visual observations will be compared with data from camera pictures, which registered the same nests that were observed. Due to expansion of gentoo penguins further to south we are going to increase the number of CEMP sites for continuous monitoring.

Despite the global coronavirus pandemic, there is increasing political momentum to address pressing environmental issues including the protection of the Southern Ocean. In addition to major statements of support for Antarctic MPAs from global leaders, ASOC and its partners have collected 1.5 million signatures on petitions calling for the designation of Antarctic MPAs in 2021.

ASOC therefore recommends that CCAMLR-40 answer these calls for action by:

1. Adopting the East Antarctic MPA (EAMPA) with no limit to its duration, incorporating all three proposed areas (MacRobertson, Drygalski and D’Urville Sea-Mertz).

2. Adopting Phase 1 of the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) and work towards adopting Phase 2 no later than 2023. MPAs resulting from Phase 1 and Phase 2 should not have a limit to their duration.

3. Adopting the Domain 1 MPA (D1MPA), with no limit to its duration, including the extension of no-take zones to all areas previously identified as critical, such as the areas around Elephant Island, to ensure conservation objectives are met.

4. Continuing work to establish a representative system of comprehensive, adequate and representative MPAs, with significant no-take areas and no limits to their duration, across all planning domains in the Convention Area including Domain 9, the corridor connecting Sub-Antarctic islands in Domains 4, 5 and 6, and the additional four zones within the original East Antarctic MPA proposal.

CCAMLR is in a leadership position with respect to the international community and the global biosphere when it comes to climate action in the Southern Ocean, and CCAMLR’s climate action should reflect that responsibility. In practice, there is a considerable mismatch between the urgency of addressing climate change and the pace of climate action in the Southern Ocean. In this paper ASOC makes recommendations to CCAMLR to improve its climate action record including:

• agreeing to a revised CCRWP for CCAMLR during the 2021 Scientific Committee meeting, including agreeing to a timeline to ensure full implementation of the CCRWP by 2030;
• establishing a subsidiary group in 2021 to provide annual policy advice to CCAMLR on climate change, including with respect to fisheries management, spatial protections, and any other climate issues as they arise.

CCAMLR must act to conserve Antarctic marine living resources and the Antarctic ecosystem, using the best scientific evidence available. The Antarctic krill fishery has dramatically increased in recent years to more than two-thirds of the trigger level in Area 48, with concerns by most Members that catches at these levels if taken from small areas could impact krill predators. Recent CCAMLR meetings have indicated that the current scientific information on Antarctic krill, the krill-based food web and the fishery is insufficient for some Members to agree to spatial management measures influencing the spatial distribution of krill catch. Critically, the availability of scientific information is dependent on funding scientific activities that are relevant to the decisions being made. This should be part of the cost of managing a fishery. In recent decades, the economics of fisheries has come under the spotlight, particularly in relation to whether those benefitting from the fisheries are making reasonable contributions to their management. In this paper, we assess the economics of the Antarctic krill fishery, the beneficiaries of the fishery, and the costs of producing the scientific information currently available. From this analysis, we recommend that the Commission agrees on a management strategy for which the research needs are identified, costed and implemented, and to which the Commission can commit to fulfilling.

2021 is a critical year for the management of the Antarctic krill fishery, which is expanding even as climate impacts on krill habitat increase. CCAMLR must continue its efforts to complete the agreed krill work plan and develop a new science-based CM to replace 51-07 as soon as possible, but meanwhile must prevent a situation this year in which 51-07 lapses completely. ASOC therefore recommends that:

• SC-CAMLR completes the krill work plan agreed in 2019 —including the biomass estimate, stock assessment, and risk assessment, and CCAMLR subsequently agrees on a new, improved conservation measure replacing CM 51-07.
• CCAMLR renews CM 51-07 if a new CM cannot be agreed this year, so that the SC can complete the agreed krill work plan and formulate a new CM.
• CCAMLR avoids the complete lapse of CM 51-07 as reversion to management under CM 51-01 alone would be irresponsible given that the combined impacts on the ecosystem of climate change and concentrated fishing are already of concern.

ASOC submitted four background papers to CCAMLR-40, highlighting ongoing challenges to krill fishery management, marine protected areas and climate change. Throughout the intersessional period, ASOC and its member groups conducted a variety of activities supporting Antarctic conservation, including participation in online academic conferences, workshops, symposia and webinars, and making contributions to a range of research projects. CCAMLR must respond to the ongoing climate and biodiversity crisis and take immediate action to achieve the long-term conservation of the Southern Ocean.

An international group of scientists from 11 countries and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB), including those holding or having access to long-term marine mammal data and having experience of working with marine mammals in the Extended Southern Ocean region, came together for five days to nominate candidate Important Marine Mammal Areas (cIMMAs), as determined by a set of criteria supported by specific evidence that capture critical aspects of marine mammal (seals and cetaceans) biology, ecology and population structure.  At the conclusion of the five days, 15 cIMMAs were submitted to an independent review panel and 13 were later approved as IMMAs. These are now listed and shown on the IMMA e-Atlas with access to shapefile and background information (https://www.marinemammalhabitat.org/imma-eatlas/). The outcomes of this work may be useful in the development of spatial conservation measures.