Stock assessment of the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) at South Georgia

Recently a longline fishery has developed for the Patagonian Toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides, in the vicinity of Shag Rocks, South Georgia. Assessment of this stock is not possible by conventional methods because the bulk of the adult population may be dispersed over a wide area in deep water whereas the Shag Rocks’ shelf may be a nursery ground for juveniles. An assessment of the stock has been made by extrapolating the population parameters from trawl surveys to derive estimates for the whole stock.