WG-FSA-06

Data on Antarctic toothfish stomach contents were collected from Subarea 88.1 on board of the longliner “Yantar” under Russian flag in the 2005/06 season. The results of researches demonstrated that the main toothfish food in the Ross Sea were not cephalopods, but bottom and demersal fishes, Macrourus whitsoni in particular. The list of 25 fish species of 14 families is given.

The paper presents an estimate of IUU catches of toothfish during the 2005/06 fishing season, using the standard methodology.

Although a breeding population of black-browed albatrosses has been known to exist at the Ildefonso Archipelago, Chile, for > 90 years the population has never been censused using scientifically defendable methods. To estimate population size, and examine the accuracy and practicality of various census methods, the population was censused in the 2002/03 breeding season using a) ground- Read More
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Materials on results of scientific observation in fishery cruise on the longliner “Mellas”, operating under the Ukrainian flag in FAO statistical area 41 in the southwest Atlantic outside exclusive (sea) economic zones of the foreign states at Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) fisheries are submitted. The data on volume of the biological material collected in the cruise, the data Read More
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During February-March 2006, the United Station Antarctic Marine Living Resources (U.S. AMLR) Program in collaboration with the German Federal Research Centre for Fisheries conducted a bottom trawl survey of the northern Antarctic Peninsula (southern Bransfield Strait) and Joinville/D’Urville Islands. This area included the likely historical fishing grounds of a trawl fishery for the spiny Read More
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This document reports that how new bottom long line system instead of Spanish long line system was applied to exploratory long line fisheries for Dissostichus spp. in 2005/06 season, indicating distinctive points on fishing gear, line setting and line hauling process, and explaining the reason why there was no seabirds caught at line setting and line hauling either.

The works on study of the diet composition of Antarctic toothfish were conducted from December to March during the two fishery seasons (2004-2005 and 2005-2006) in different fishing areas of the Ross Sea located between 67°S to 76°S. 192 longline settings were made. In total, over two seasons 3000 stomachs (1913 stomachs in 2005 and 1087 ones in 2006) were analyzed. In 2005 fish was caught at Read More
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Report from the second meeting of the WCPFC Ecosystem and Bycatch Specialist Working Group 2006, with background on draft seabird recommendations

This paper presents an analysis of the distribution of albatrosses and petrels in the area under the jurisdiction of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), using data from the BirdLife Global Procellariiform Tracking Database.
• The WCPFC area includes 41% of the global breeding distribution of albatrosses and petrels.
• Albatross distribution is concentrated Read More
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F/T Saga Sea is a Norwegian registered factory trawler owned by the Aker Seafoods Antarctic AS, and is licensed to fish krill in Area 48.1-4. Aker has developed a patented new environmental friendly continuous trawling system, named Aker Eco Harvesting System. The system is described in the paper and is based on a conventional trawl with a connected rubber hose to the cod end of the trawl. The Read More
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The Spanish system is used in a range of demersal and semi-pelagic longline fisheries throughout the southern hemisphere and has been the source of a large number of seabird fatalities. An experiment was conducted on a chartered Spanish-rig vessel to improve the sink rate of longlines to reduce interactions with seabirds. The benchmark sink rate was that of integrated weight (IW) longlines, as Read More
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The new continuous krill fishing system uses both a small-meshed midwater trawl and a powerful pumping system for continuous pumping the catch out of the trawl bag. It was discussed the potential threats of new technology to Antarctic marine ecosystem. It was shown that application of this fishing technology may result in considerable by-catch of the juvenile fish and larvae in krill fishery Read More
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Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides, collections (n-186) from three ocean basins were analysed for Hg concentration and comparisons were made by gender, total length (TL), wet weight (WW), and basin. There was no difference between TL-WW relationships by gender within any basin across the range examined. However, fish were significantly smaller within the Atlantic basin (mean=84.52 Read More
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The long term monitoring program of demersal fish at inshore sites of the South Shetland Islands has continued at Potter Cove from 2000 to 2006, covering a continuous sampling period of twenty four years, and at Harmony Cove, Nelson Island, in the austral summers from 2001 to 2003. The decline in trammel net catches of fjord fishes of the species Notothenia rossii and Gobionotothen Read More
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A toothfish species profile, covering aspects of the biology, fisheries and stock assessment of both toothfish species was completed by Everson (2002). Aspects of the biology of D. mawsoni were summarised by Hanchet et al. (2003), whilst more recent research has been reported in background documents to WG-FSA. The aim of the current work was to collate and summarise existing biological data on Read More
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The stomach contents of 190 sub-adult (51-100 cm TL) Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) captured by bottom longline in the western Ross Sea were analysed. Fish were sampled during the 2005 fishing (Dec 2004 to Jun 2005) season and caught in 398-1678 m depths. Sub-adult D. mawsoni are primarily piscivorous, feeding on a wide variety of small to medium sized fish. Icefish ( Read More
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This project evaluated the prevalence and intensity of an ectoparasite Eubrachiella antarctica as a marker for stock discrimination of Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea. New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries Observers on four toothfish longline vessels recorded the number of E. antarctica on the fins and in the buccal cavity of 621 large D. mawsoni (mostly 120-150 cm). Up to five D. mawsoni per Read More
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The exploratory fishery for Antarctic toothfish (D. mawsoni) has been operating for nine years in Subarea 88.1 and for five years in Subarea 88.2 with a large amount of data collected on toothfish and the associated bycatch. All SSRUs in the two subareas except for 881D and 882C have now been fished. The 2006 D. mawsoni catch was the second highest on record with a total of 3388 t against a Read More
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This paper reviews the distribution of seabird species with the WCPFC Area. From a review of the distributions of 99 species of albatross and petrel, 16 species of albatross and 60 species of petrel occur within the area of the WCPFC, and are potentially vulnerable to fisheries bycatch. These include species with IUCN classification of Critically Endangered (n = 1), Endangered (n = 7), Read More
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Biological parameters were reviewed and updated for the two main species of skates taken as bycatch in the Ross Sea toothfish fishery: Amblyraja georgiana and Bathyraja cf. eatonii. Differences in length-weight relationships among regions raise doubt about the conspecificity of A. georgiana from the Ross Sea and South Georgia, and of B. cf. eatonii from the Ross Sea and Heard Island and the Read More
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Over 9,000 skates have been tagged and released in the Ross Sea over a period of seven years, and 47 (0.5%) have been recaptured. The recapture of tagged Amblyraja georgiana after up to four years at liberty shows that some skates survive and recover from being hauled out of depths of around 1,000 m and tagged. In-water tagging greatly reduces the incidence of broken jaws in skates, and Read More
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The CCAMLR system for assessing risk of fisheries mortalities to seabirds has been applied for 10 years and helps to define mitigation and monitoring requirements for fisheries within the waters of the CCAMLR convention area. Annual review of the information by used CCAMLR Working Group on Incidental Mortality Associated with Fishing for the assessments of risk, and performance of fisheries Read More
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A descriptive analysis of the toothfish tagging programme carried out in Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 since 2001 is presented. The paper updates and revises tag-release and tag-recapture data which were presented in July 2006 at WG-FSA-SAM. In addition, the paper presents release and recapture data for non-New Zealand vessels for the 2005-06 season for the first time. However, tag data were still Read More
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The upper-arm of the length-dependent fishing selectivity function for trawlers fishing for Patagonian toothfish around Heard Island (Division 58.5.2) was modelled as the exponential of a quadratic function in length. This function was calibrated using random length frequency (LF) data collected from commercial operations of each of trawlers and longliners fishing concurrently for 3 seasons Read More
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Information on CCAMLR fisheries of relevance to the work of WG-FSA is summarised, and where possible, in a format suitable for importing directly to the Fishery Reports. Additional fishery-related information can be found in WG-FSA-06/36, 06/37, 06/38 (summaries of observer data), SC-CAMLR-XXV/BG/1 rev.1 (catches in the Convention Area) CCAMLR-XXV/16 (summary of notification for new and Read More
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1. The first Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP1) of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) agreed to review the population status, trends and demography of albatrosses (21 species) and petrels (seven species) listed on Annex 1 of the Agreement (MOP1 Final Report, Paragraph 7.2).
2. To progress this review, ACAP’s Advisory Committee established a Read More
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This study estimates the mortality of seabirds in the South African deep water hake trawl fishery. Observations of interactions between seabirds and trawl gear were made on 331 trawls during 20 trips on 14 vessels between mid-2004 and end 2005. Long-winged albatrosses were killed most frequently, with Shy Albatrosses comprising 43% and Black-browed Albatrosses 37% of birds killed. Small Read More
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Random stratified trawl surveys (RSTSs) of the distribution and abundance of demersal fish species on the Heard Island plateau have been conducted annually since 1997. The survey conducted in May-June 2006 had two main aims:
• to assess the abundance and size structure of juvenile and adult Dissostichus eleginoides on the shallow and deep parts of the Heard Island Plateau. ]
• to Read More
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A survey of mackerel icefish, Champsocephalus gunnari, was undertaken in Division 58.5.2 in the vicinity of Heard Island in May-June 2006 to provide the information for an assessment of short-term annual yield in the 2006/2007 CCAMLR season. This paper provides a preliminary assessment of yield for the area of Division 58.5.2 to the west of 79°20’ E using standard CCAMLR methods. A lack of Read More
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This paper reviews the allocation of historical survey data to the new strata and the implications of this review to estimating the abundance of juvenile fish using CMIX. In addition, the paper examines how the latest length-at-age model for Dissostichus eleginoides (Patagonian toothfish) in 58.5.2 could affect the estimates of juvenile abundance. Model estimates were best incorporating the Read More
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A survey of Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides, was undertaken in Division 58.5.2 in the vicinity of Heard Island in May-June 2006 to provide the information for an assessment of short-term annual yield in the 2006/2007 CCAMLR season. This paper provides a preliminary assessment of yield for the area of Division 58.5.2 to the west of 79°20’ E using standard CCAMLR methods. It also Read More
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Australia proposes that the possession and/or use of gillnets for commercial purposes be prohibited until such time as (1) the Scientific Committee has investigated and reported on the potential impacts of this gear in the Convention Area, and (2) the Commission has agreed on the basis of advice from the Scientific Committee that such a method may be used in the Convention Area.

The Ross Sea toothfish fishery has operated during the Antarctic summer (December–May) since 1997 in CCAMLR Subareas 88.1 and 88.2. Previously, standardised analysis of toothfish CPUE (catch per hook) have been carried out for the Ross Sea (Subarea 88.1 and SSRUs 88.2A–B) for the 1998 to 2005 fishing years. This report revises and updates the previous analysis with the addition of data from Read More
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We provide an update of the Bayesian sex and age structured population stock assessment model for Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in the SSRU 88.2E, using revised catch, CPUE, catch-at-age and tag-recapture data from New Zealand and all vessels. The updated reference case resulted in a slightly higher estimate of initial biomass than in 2005, though this was mostly due to a Read More
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We satellite tracked four adult southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus), four adult northern giant petrels (Macronectes halli), and two fledgling chicks of each species during the summer of 2005-06. Adults of both species spent time in areas under CCAMLR jurisdiction. Adult southern giant petrels spent 37% of their overall time at sea in statistical sub-area 58.4.1, and 14% in sub-area Read More
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The description of a design of longline of the "spanish type" on European hake (Merluccius merluccius) fishery in the coastal and deep waters of the North Atlantic and its modifications used on fishery of Antarctic toothfish (D. mawsoni) and Patagonian toothfish (D. eleginoides) in waters of the Antarctic Region is given. The operational experience by the longline of the «spanish type» by two Read More
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The biennial South Georgia Groundfish Survey was undertaken in January 2006 on board the FPRV Dorada. Sixty-three random trawls were undertaken, with 12.3 tonnes of mackerel icesfish caught, which produced biomass estimates of between 91000 and 117000 tonnes. The catches were dominated by fish of 20-25 cm (putative 2+), but unusually large numbers of fish of ~ 50 cm were also caught to the N Read More
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Minimizing the time gear is available to seabirds by increasing the sink rate of longlines is one method to effectively reduce seabird catch rates. We fished normal unweighted longlines (UW) and integrated weight longlines (IW-50 g/m) with and without paired streamer lines (PS) in seabird mitigation trials targeting Pacific cod in the Bering Sea, Alaska, USA. Our objective was to evaluate IW Read More
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1. As requested by SAM-2006, we provide a reference assessment for toothfish in Subarea 48.3. We provide sensitivity runs that include revised maturity and catch weighted proportion at length data. We additionally provide a sensitivity run which examines uncertainty in IUU catches from 1995, as requested by the Joint Assessment Group.
2. Also as requested by SAM-2006, we provide a review Read More
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This paper presents new results and estimation bias analyses for a Bayesian mark-recapture model, applied to the South Georgia toothfish tagging data. The updated model incorporates the data from all the analysed cohorts in the estimation routine, and we examine the potential estimation bias, using simulated data. The results confirm earlier findings, with lower estimates of natural and Read More
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Two vessels, the Argos Helena (UK) and the San Aspiring (New Zealand), fished around the South Sandwich Islands (Subarea 48.4) in 2006 following one vessel, the Argos Helena, fishing in 2005. During this time animals were tagged in order to continue a mark-recapture programme started in 2005 to assess the toothfish population. We present an analysis of the catch and tagging data and a proposal Read More
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In this paper we analyse data on the distribution of catches, the size of krill and bycatch of larval fish taken by the Saga Sea fishing with continuous trawls in 2006, and the Atlantic Navigator which fished in 2005 using both continuous trawling and conventional trawling. The sizes of krill caught by both conventional and continuous trawling techniques appear to be very similar. Although Read More
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The ASPM assessment of the Prince Edward Islands toothfish resource by Brandão and Butterworth (2005) that permitted annual fluctuations about a deterministic stock-recruitment relationship is updated to take account of further catch, GLM standardised CPUE and catch-at-length information that has become available for the years 2005 and 2006. The assessment allows for a second fleet to Read More
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The ASPM is an integrated modeling technique used in stock assessment of different D. eleginoides fisheries (Prince Edward Islands and Patagonian Shelf) and allows fitting to many different information sources, such as catch and age and size data from fishing fleet, surveys and others abundance indexes. Last results obtained from ASPM model used to assess the D. eleginoides biomass at CCAMLR Read More
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We provide an update of the Bayesian sex and age structured population stock assessment model for Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in the Ross Sea (Subareas 88.1 and SSRUs 88.2A–B), using revised catch, CPUE, catch-at-age and tag-recapture data from New Zealand vessels. The updated reference case resulted in a much higher estimate of initial biomass, though this appeared to be almost Read More
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Form used with protocol for observing warp strikes in trawl fisheries

Protocol for observing warp strikes in trawl fisheries

Killer whales (Orcinus orca), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and fur seals (Arctocephalus sp.) interactions with longlines fishing operations were reported by observers onboard of fishing vessels, catching Patagonian tooshfish in the Crozet and Kerguelen Exclusive Economic Zones, between 2003 and 2005. In Crozet waters, 71% of the 1308 longlines presented marine mammals interactions Read More
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This paper follows preliminary work in 2005 and early 2006 in developing an integrated assessment for Patagonian toothfish in Division 58.5.2. It focuses on developing an integrated assessment using CASAL and demonstrates that all of the data available for assessments, including surveys, fishery catch-at-length data, standardised catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) series for trawl grounds, and Read More
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Data on length and gonad-weight distribution, maturity and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni were collected from Subarea 88.1 on board of the longliner “Yantar” under Russian flag in the 2005/06 season.
Our supposition is that the predominant part of Antarctic toothfish population observed in SSRU –H, K, L in December 2005 – February 2006 will not be Read More
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Otolith chemistry has been successfully used to reconstruct the environmental history experienced by estuarine-dependent teleost fish, including movement between estuaries and coastal areas. However, application has been more limited in species exposed exclusively to oceanic waters, where gradients in physical and chemical properties are less extreme. To test whether otolith elemental Read More
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Otolith chemistry has been successfully used to reconstruct the environmental history experienced by estuarine-dependent teleost fish, including movement between estuaries and coastal areas. However, application has been more limited in species exposed exclusively to oceanic waters, where gradients in physical and chemical properties are less extreme. To test whether otolith elemental Read More
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Otolith nucleus chemistry resolved the population structure of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), an exclusively marine species, along the Patagonian Shelf and North Scotia Ridge out to South Georgia in the Southern Ocean. Concentrations of 55Mn, 88Sr, and 137Ba, ratioed to 42Ca, showed a sharp population boundary in the vicinity of the Polar Front, between South Georgia and the Read More
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In the beginning of February 2005, during the hauling of bottom-set longline in the Ross Sea (East Antarctic) from the depth of 1480 m to the surface a very large squid taken a large individual of Antarctic toothfish D. mawsoni (Norman, 1937) with a size of 160 cm and weight of 58 kg caught by a longline hook, was hauled up to the board of longliner VOLNA. Squid was very active and did not Read More
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