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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2006
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Dave Bard
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International Conference Takes New Steps for Antarctic Marine Life: Stronger Protections for Krill, New Measures to Control Pirate Fishing for Chilean Sea Bass
Hobart, Tasmania — Species near the top of the Antarctic food web, the Patagonian toothfish, and at the base, Antarctic krill, were a major focus of discussions at the two-week meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). During the 25th annual meeting, which concluded today, the 24 government members, international observer countries and organizations debated new measures to protect the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic marine environments.
There is a growing demand for Antarctic krill, a tiny shrimp-like crustacean, as fish feed for the booming aquaculture industry. Krill serves as the foundation in the Southern Ocean food web. In addition to the increased demand, new vessel technologies are now in use that can substantially increase the catching and processing of krill, risking serious impacts to the Southern Ocean's marine ecosystem, if not effectively monitored.
"The krill fishery clearly overlaps with foraging ranges of predators, including penguins and seals, that depend on krill," said Clif Curtis, director, The Pew Charitable Trusts' Antarctic Krill Conservation Project. "It is imperative that enough information on the fishery is provided for CCAMLR scientists to give good management advice on krill that ensures that the fishery leaves enough krill for predators."
The krill project urged CCAMLR members to adopt monitoring, control and surveillance measures currently applied to all other fisheries operating in the Southern Ocean. These measures include mandatory scientific observers on board all krill vessels, the operation of a vessel monitoring system to allow constant monitoring of vessel positions and the submission of krill fishing plans. In addition, it is essential that CCAMLR divide the krill quota to protect krill predators from competition with fishing vessels.
During the meeting, the island nation of Vanuatu sent an informal notice that five of the country's "super trawlers" intend to fish for krill in the coming season, which could more than double this year's catch. This led to the hasty adoption of a new krill conservation measure prohibiting members from krill fishing until they provide fishing plans to the CCAMLR Secretariat.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for Chilean Sea Bass was also addressed at the meeting. CCAMLR adopted an Australian proposal directing members to close ports to vessels on the list of IUU vessels.
"It has taken a decade of IUU fishing, but CCAMLR has finally directed its members to take bold action to stop these pirates," said Mark Stevens, manager, "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass" campaign. "This is significant progress, with the next step being to take on the countries that are complicit."
The Pew Charitable Trusts' Antarctic Krill Conservation Project and the National Environmental Trust's "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass" campaign both participated in this year's meeting as non-governmental organizational members of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, an accredited international observer participant in CCAMLR. Initiated earlier this year, the krill project has two primary objectives: to manage krill using the same monitoring, control, and surveillance measures as mandated for other fisheries; and to approve precautionary, ecosystem-based catch limits at sufficiently small scales to protect Antarctic species that are dependent on krill. The "Take a Pass" campaign has been campaigning for the past five years for greater conservation measures at CCAMLR to stop pirate fishing for Chilean Sea Bass.
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Icescape photo courtesy U.S. Antarctic Program
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