The foraging range of Adelie penguins – implications for CEMP and interactions with the krill fishery

This paper presents a summary of the foraging locations of the Ad6lie penguin at 7 widely spaced locations along the coast of Eastern Antarctica between 55°E near Enderby Land and 175°E in the Ross Sea region. Birds feeding chicks regularly travel 100-120km offshore to the continental shelf and return with krill. The pattern of foraging is similar between sites. The potential for overlap with the krill fishery occurs where ice conditions permit the fishing fleet to cross onto the continental shelf. Observations at Casey and Dumont D'Urville from one season suggest such an overlap may not occur at these sites in normal ice years. It is suggested that an understanding of the potential for over lap between the areas of foraging of the birds and fishing be established by tracking before a decision is taken to establish new CEMP sites.