RELEVANT ISSUES IN REGARDS TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ANTARCTIC KRILL FISHERIES IN AREA 48

In 2008, the Ukraine submitted a paper to the Scientific Committee highlighting the magnitude of the scientific uncertainties and data gaps affecting the subdivision of precautionary catch limits among SSMUs in Area 48 (CCAMLR- XXVII/43). The Ukraine suggested that a research plan was necessary for CCAMLR to fill those gaps, together with developing in future a funding mechanism to support the data obtaining process financially. The discussion of that issue at 2009 WG-EMM meeting will be useful in a course of the consideration a decision on a Stage 1 allocation. In addition, this meeting provides a good opportunity to discuss the possibility for the working group to come up with a research and monitoring plan for krill in Area 48. Due to the high level of risk associated with maintaining the current fishing pattern, in the event that WG-EMM is not able to deliver a recommendation on Stage 1 allocation, the working group would consider interim protective measures to protect krill predators from the impacts of fishing. In order to adequately incorporate current uncertainties in regards to krill, krill catches, predators, and environmental, the level of combined uncertainties could be quantified through a simple index - “uncertainty coefficient”.