The annual random stratified trawl survey (RSTS) at HIMI was conducted during May of 2015, with the completion of 163 stations, an additional five stations compared with previous surveys. The extra five hauls were part of a redesign of the survey on the main trawl ground which consisted of sub-division into two boxes, one having 15 and the second 10 randomly allocated stations. In addition the survey was conducted on a new vessel, the FV Atlas Cove, following the retirement of the previous vessel, the FV Southern Champion, which had been used for all previous surveys. Other sampling protocols, including the net used were identical to previous surveys.

The catch rate of D. eleginoides was twice that of 2014 and two and a half times that of the long-term average for the survey. The C. gunnari catch rate was at about half the average. For the managed bycatch species catch rates were higher than the average for C. rhinoceratus, macrourids and skates, but lower for L. squamifrons. The catch of invertebrates in the 2015 survey was 4.6 t, with the most abundant taxa being jellyfish and the poriferan sponges. Invertebrate catches were smaller the long-term average.

Length measurements were taken for nearly 23,000 fish and biological measurements for nearly half of those. Otoliths were collected from 1,599 D. eleginoides and over 500 toothfish were tagged and released. The extra focus on bycatch species this year meant that 333 sets of otoliths were collected for L. squamifrons,  499 for C. rhinoceratus and 929 for macrourids.

Following advice from WG-SAM-15, a revised version of the reserach proposal for toothfish in Subarea 48.2 is presented (WG-SAM-15/53).  

Научный комитет призвал страны-члены рассмотреть возможные способы оптимизировать его работу. В начале сентября Председатель и заместители Председателя Научного комитета, а также созывающие рабочих групп и подгруппы, вместе с Секретариатом провели телеконференцию для того, чтобы обсудить, как лучше заняться этим вопросом на совещании Научного комитета этого года. Было решено, что созывающие рабочих групп (WG-EMM, WG-SAM, и WG-FSA) и подгруппы (SG-ASAM) подготовят совместный документ НК, в котором обобщаются приоритетные задачи каждой группы на следующие 4 года в качестве основы для обсуждений на совещании Научного комитета.

Основные моменты данного документа:

• WG-EMM: Продвижение поэтапного подхода к разработке управления с обратной связью для промысла криля должно стать главным приоритетом WG-EMM на следующие 4 года. Это задача исключительно для WG-EMM, однако потребуется тесное сотрудничество с другими группами для того, чтобы получить оценки и рекомендации по конкретным вопросам, входящим в их компетенцию.
• WG-SAM продолжает разрабатывать методы, требующиеся для проведения надежных комплексных оценок запасов и выполнения правил принятия решений.
• WG-FSA не должна будет собираться на две недели каждый год; более короткие совещания в годы, когда оценки не проводится, позволит проводить специальные семинары для рассмотрения конкретных вопросов в другое время года с целью обеспечения самого широкого участия экспертов.
• Если удастся добиться четкого, общего понимания того, как должны развиваться планы исследований на промыслах с недостаточным объемом данных, то появится больше времени на рассмотрение других вопросов.
• SG-ASAM была создана с целью удовлетворения потребностей в надлежащей акустической оценке антарктического криля и ледяной рыбы. Текущая работа SG-ASAM тесно связана с управлением с обратной связью, приоритетной работой WG-EMM и НК в целом.

This paper presents an update of the metrics of capacity and capacity utilisation presented in WG-SAM 14/19 in order to monitor trends in capacity in exploratory toothfish fisheries in Subareas 88.1 and 88.2. The updated metrics show the same pattern as the metrics based on the data up 2013 and do not indicate an excess capacity in the fishery. A measure of potential daily fishing capacity as a function of the catch limit for an area indicates that for some management areas the notified fishing capacity is in excess of the level that would allow the Secretariat to forecast and issue a closure notice.

The product to green-weight conversion factors used in the toothfish fishery are integral to the reporting of catches and reconciling those catches with data reported via the CDS. This paper reviews the data available on conversion factor in the C2 and Observer data as well as the factors that might influence those conversion factors. There was considerable inter-vessel variability as well as an apparent long-term trend in the most commonly reported conversion factors. This variability persisted even within the same processing code, suggesting that more details on the processing methods may be required to better understand the sources of this variability. The results suggest that a reconciliation between the reported catch for a vessel and the weight of product reported in a catch document submitted to the CDS should be based on a conversion of the ‘green weight’ for each haul in the C2 data to a product weight as this will be based on the most appropriate conversion factor available

A collaborative initiative to examine Antarctic toothfish (Dissosticus mawsoni) movement and habitat preference is being developed to support the research and monitoring within the proposed Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area.  The objective is to deploy mark-report pop-off (mrPAT) tags and pop-up archival (MiniPAT) tags on fish within the General Protection Zone (GPZ) and Special Research Zone (SRZ) as set out in the Ross Sea Region MPA proposal (CCAMLR-XXXIV/29). Members with fishing vessels who may be fishing in these proposed areas during the 2015/16 and 2016/17 fishing seasons are invited to participate in this research.

Within the CCAMLR Area, the toothfish longline fishery is subject to depredation by top predators using the fishery as a source of additional food provisioning in several subareas. Depredation by toothed whales is well observed and documented in some subareas, but information on depredation by other species is not consistently or regularly recorded throughout the CCAMLR Area. This paper presents a first guide of identifiable depredation marks left by different predators such as characteristic cuts, wounds and suckers’ imprints as an identification aide and supporting tool to the CCAMLR observers to simplify collection of depredation data.

A summary of progress made regarding the ageing and growth studies for Dissostichus mawsoni from Division 58.4.1 is presented. It is included the methodology used in the otolith preparation and the interpretation criteria applied on age estimation, as well as the age-length key and growth parameters estimates by sex. Growth parameters obtained using length-age pair values are: L_∞: 154.4, k: 0.1399 and t₀: 1.321 for males; L_∞: 166.6, k: 0.1322 and t₀: 1.571 for females; and L_∞: 168.2, k: 0.1141 and t₀: 0.8488 all combined.  

At the 2014/15 season the Spanish FV TRONIO had to return to Montevideo due to a collision with an ice block which caused a problem in a propeller, so it couldn’t perform the proposed research fishing in the 58.4.1 Division. A request to consider how to maximize the likelihood to undertake its research commitments was made by the WG-SAM-15. A minimum of 30 days within the 58.4.1 Division is established, except force majeure, fulfilling Spain's commitment to return to the same fishing areas where the depletion experience has been accomplished. The methodology of the proposal described below is the same as presented in the document WG-SAM-15/02. 

In response to a request from the Scientific Committee the Secretariat has initiated a process to utilise VMS data for data-quality assurance in relation to catch data. This represents a change in focus on the use of VMS data by CCAMLR and requires a contingent change in emphasis on data quality assurance processes in order to ensure that the VMS can be used with an appropriate degree of confidence for compliance analysis and improving the quality of other georeferenced data.