On possible influence of continuous krill fishing technology with the use of ‘air-bubbling suspension system’ on ecosystem elements

It was shown that potential increase in krill fishery in the immediate future, accompanied by introduction of highly intensive fishing and processing technologies call for studying the fishery influence on ecosystem components beyond the framework of traditional investigations of predator-krill- fishery interactions. In this case, apart from traditional commercial statistics (vessels location, fishing effort, etc.), the trawl design and fishing method should be considered as a constituent of studying the krill fishing technology. It is just trawl design and fishing method that will determine catchability, selectivity and ecological compatibility of the gear during the fishery and, accordingly, form the fishing process influence on ecosystem components, such as juvenile fish, larvae, immature and adult krill and other small pelagic species. Obviously, ecological compatibility of krill processing technology, including waste recovery, may become a constituent part of fishery influence on ecosystem components beginning from the water, phyto- and zooplankton, krill, and further through trophic relationships to fish, birds and mammals.
It was discussed the potential major sources and scenarios of ecological influence of continuous krill fishing technology with “air-bubbling suspension system”(CFS), which is compared with a conventional fishing method. It was shown that not only hydrobionts, which are in close contact with the trawl, will be exposed to ecosystem influence of CFS, but also marine animals (seals, fish, for instance), though not fished by trawl, can be exposed to ecological pressing at a distance through the influence on environmental conditions. Therefore we conceive it to be expedient that introduction of fishing technology with the use of air-bubbling suspension systems is forestalled with planning and conduction of special investigations. Some proposals on such investigations were outlined.