Data collection at sea is based on forms provided by CCAMLR. This paper provides  proposals for future changes in the skipper’s forms to be considered by the working group.

The key issues for development of krill fishery management schemes based on the ecosystem approach and proposal to generate baseline data in the context of addressing these problems are considered.

In this paper, we report on fish by-catch during exploratory fishing activities undertaken in Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 during the 2012 to 2018 seasons. Fish by-catch comprised 14 species or groups of species. In 2018, by-catch represented 12% of the total catch (43 tonnes over 307 tonnes of Dissostichus spp.) in Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2. 98% of the biomass was represented by 2 families: Macrouridae and Channichthyidae. The others most common by-catch species or families were Muraenolepis spp., Antimora rostrata and Artedidraconidae. Raja and Bathyraja were rarely caught. Species composition varied between research blocks except for Macrourus spp. which dominated by-catch composition everywhere. The ratio by-catch to target catch was higher in the eastern part of Division 58.4.1. The ratio Macrourus to Dissostichus increased in every research blocks during the study period, particularly in the eastern blocks where Macrourus CPUE also increased in the last 3 years. Macrourus CPUE was 23kg/1000 hooks in average with relatively little spatial variations except in the east were it could reach 180kg/1000 hooks locally. As found in others areas of the Convention, Macrourus CPUE was 2 times higher for autolines than Spanish lines and trotlines, and it peaked at depths between 900 and 1300m. CPUE distribution of the others by-catch species were much lower and highly heterogeneous in space. Macrourus catch was dominated by females in all research blocks and length frequency distribution did not reveal any temporal changes within research blocks. Length at 50% maturity was estimated for the two most common species of Macrourus (Macrourus whitoni and Macrourus caml) and for Chionobathyscus dewitti. 95% of the Muraenolepis sp. and Antimora rostrata were females in every research blocks with spatial variations in total length frequency distribution.

Fishing vessels using ~10 km long bottom longline operate in the French EEZ of Kerguelen and Crozet and report catches by species along with geographical coordinates. This papers presents a new method to better take into account the information associated to the path of the line instead of only the mid-point as commonly used to calculate catch rates.

Skates are frequently caught as by-catch during commercial longline fishing operations within CCAMLR subareas 48.3 and 48.4. Morphological evaluations of the by-catch in these subareas indicate that up to three species from the skate genus Amblyraja occur: A. georgiana, A. georgiana sp. anon and Amblyraja taaf. In this report, we present results from the first population genetic analysis of these Amblyraja skates to assess if their current morphological classification during by-catch assessment reflects potential genetic discontinuities. Our results reveal that it is sampling location (geography), rather than morphology, that is the major determinant of population differentiation in these Southern Ocean skates.

The Antarctic starry skate (Amblyraja georgiana), is currently listed as “Data Deficient” by IUCN (Endicott & Kyne 2009) and is one of the main by-catch species in the longline fishery for Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) around South Georgia in the Southern Ocean. Information is lacking particularly in relation to catches, population trends, and taxonomic uncertainty. Using ten years of tag-recapture data collected around South Georgia, a comprehensive analysis of data on taxonomic identification, stock status and assessment for the Antarctic starry skate around South Georgia and Shag Rocks was undertaken. The outcomes of this study narrowed some of the existing knowledge gaps, address the uncertainties around species differentiation, characterise tag-recapture data from Antarctic starry skates, and provide a preliminary stock assessment, showing that the current level of by-catch exploitation rate of Antarctic starry skates is likely low at around 1% of the estimated biomass.

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has been granted observer status at the thirty-seventh meetings of the Commission and Scientific Committee. IAATO is a membership organization founded in 1991 to advocate and promote the practice of safe, environmentally responsible private-sector Antarctic travel. It now comprises over 100 member companies, representing the vast majority of all private sector tourism to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean. This paper is a brief introduction to the association and its activities including its history, purpose and relevance to the Antarctic Treaty System. An overview of Antarctic tourism trends is also presented.

Ce rapport synthétise les observations faites en matière de pêche illicite du 15 juillet 2017 au 15 juillet 2018 concernant les sous-zones statistiques 58.6, 58.5.1, 58.5.2 incluant les zones sous juridiction françaises de Crozet et des Kerguelen. Il comprend également  des informations d’intérêt général sur les activités de pêche dans les sous-zones statistiques 58.4.3 et 58.4.4, eaux internationales comprenant les bancs Banzare, Elan, Lena et Ob.

Dans les ZEE françaises, où le dispositif de surveillance s’est maintenu sur toute la période, aucune observation d’activité de pêche INN n’a été constatée ou signalée, cependant du matériel de pêche non conforme a été trouvé.

The stock of Antarctic toothfish (D. mawsoni) in CCAMLR subarea 48.4 is estimated from tagging returns to be 982 tonnes in 2018. Applying the CCAMLR agreed precautionary assumption of average biomass across the time series and harvest rate of γ = 0.038, implies a 2018/19 yield of 37 tonnes, unchanged from the 2017/18 catch limit.

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 Subarea 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.