Summary of VME notifications made under Conservation Measures 22-06 and 22-07

In accordance with conservation measures (CM) in force, Members are required to notify the Secretariat of encounters, and potential encounters with vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs). Notifications are made either under CM 22-07 in the case of encounters with potential VMEs during the course of bottom fishing, or under CM 22-06 in other cases such as during research surveys. The Secretariat received a total of 30 notifications of encounters with VMEs in 2008/09 arising from research surveys (CM 22-06); no new notification has been submitted so far in 2009/10. The encounters were notified from Subareas 48.1 (17 notifications) and 48.2 (11 notifications) and Division 58.4.1 (2 notifications), and the VMEs were observed using in-situ photography and benthic/bottom trawls. VME-indicator notifications have been submitted from the exploratory pot fishery for crab in Subarea 48.2 (1 notification), and the exploratory longline fisheries for Dissostichus spp. in Subareas 48.6 (1 notification), 88.1 (32 notifications) and 88.2 (19 notifications). A total of 53 notifications have been received, of which 29 were made in 2008/09 and 24 have been made so far in 2009/10. No notification has arisen from exploratory fisheries in Divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2, 58.4.3a and 58.4.3b. Fifteen VME-indicator notifications reported  10 VME-indicator units recovered from single line segments. These notifications were made in Subareas 88.1 and 88.2, and resulted in the declaration of 15 risk areas. In addition, three VME fine-scale rectangles have been identified in these subareas.