ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC OBSERVER DATA FROM THE RUSSIAN KRILL TRAWLER 'MAXIM STAROSTIN' IN THE SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS REGION (SUBAREA 48.2) DURING THE SEASON 2008-2009

In 2008 fishing season the Russian flagged vessel 'Maxim Starostin' started fishing operations for krill in the Convention area. The vessel used both conventional and continuous trawl technology. Two Russian national scientific observers were present during all fishing operations of the 'Maxim Starostin'. Their observation plan targeted at monitoring the amount and size/sex composition of the krill catches, bycatch, spatial distribution and biological condition of krill. This paper provides initial analysis of the 'Maxim Starostin' catch data collected between January and March, 2009 in the area adjacent to the Southern Orkney Islands (CCAMLR Area 48.2). The data obtained during the observation period indicate the presence of several types of Antarctic krill aggregations in South Orkney Islands region. These aggregation have complex size structure and apparently consist of several successive cohorts. The aggregations with dominance of small-, average- and large-size krill have been allocated. Reproduction of krill in these aggregations occurs at different time and, apparently, with different intensity that gives grounds to suggest the possibility of variation in the off-spring survival rate.