The commercial harvest of krill in the southwest Atlantic before and during the CCAMLR 2000 Survey

Abstract

Abstract A brief history of the commercial harvest and fishing patterns for krill (Euphausia superba) in the Atlantic sector (Area 48) of the Southern Ocean is presented, with an emphasis on the commercial activities of the krill fishery at the time of the CCAMLR 2000 Survey. During the period of the CCAMLR 2000 Survey, commercial krill fishing activities were centered at the South Shetland Islands in the southern Scotia Sea (Subarea 48.1). Fishing patterns, catches, catch rates, and biological information are also presented for the Japanese stern trawler Chiyo maru No. 5, which conducted krill fishing operations in the CCAMLR Subarea 48.1 from 31 January to 1 March, 2000. Information on length and maturity composition is summarized for five regions adjacent to the South Shetland Islands where the Chiyo maru No. 5 fished. The biological information collected from the commercial fishery agrees well with the findings of the CCAMLR 2000 Survey, as well as with a regional acoustic survey conducted by the US AMLR in Subarea 48.1 from February 22 to March 7, 2000. The relationship between the commercial and survey information emphasizes the value of collecting fine-scale biological information from commercial krill fisheries in the Southern Ocean.