This COMM CIRC is a guide for Flag States and vessels regarding the practical implementation of Conservation Measure (CM) 41-09.

Catch limits for Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) and by-catch limits

Table 1: Catch limits for Subarea 88.1 and small-scale research units (SSRUs) 882A–B as specified in CM 41-09.

1 – Vessel licences

The Secretariat notes that licences for each participating vessel should be provided to the Secretariat as early as possible, and in accordance with CM 10-02, paragraphs 1 and 3, within seven days of the issuance of each licence and prior to the vessel fishing in the Convention Area.

2 – Observers

The Secretariat would like to remind all Designating Members of the elements of part C of the Text of the CCAMLR Scheme of International Scientific Observation, and request that for each observer deployed, the Designating Members provide the following information to the Secretariat prior to the deployment of the observer:

1. name and flag of the vessel receiving the observer;
2. Member designating the observer;
3. area of fishing (CCAMLR statistical area, subarea, division);
4. expected dates of the start and end of the observation program;
5. expected date of returning the observer to his/her home country.

The required information should be sent via email to: observer.scheme@ccamlr.org.

3 – Vessel movement (entry/exit) notification

Vessels must notify the Flag State/Secretariat in accordance with CM 10-04, paragraph 13, and CM 91-05, paragraph 24, as follows:

• within 24 hours of each entry to, exit from, and movement between subareas and divisions of the Convention Area or as otherwise required by CM 10-04, paragraph 13, including movement between Subarea 88.1 and Subarea 88.2, and movement between small-scale research units (SSRUs) 882A–B and other areas of Subarea 88.2 (CCAMLR-XXXVII, paragraph 5.44); and

• prior to entry to the Ross Sea region marine protected area (RSRMPA) (CM 91-05, paragraph 24), noting that this includes notifying entry within the defined zones in the RSRMPA, general protection zone (GPZ) (i), (ii) and (iii), the special research zone (SRZ) and krill research zone (KRZ) as provided in Annex 91-05/A.

The Secretariat will update all vessel movement notifications on the list of vessel movements page on the CCAMLR website. Vessel entry, exit and movement notifications are to be emailed to vms@ccamlr.org.

4 – Pre-season procedures for forecasting the fishery closure date

To implement CCAMLR-38, Annex 8 (Stage 1 of the forecasting procedures), the following actions will be taken by the Secretariat in respect of fishing in the Northern area:

• On 26 November, the Secretariat will email all vessels authorised to participate in the fishery, requesting confirmation by 0100 UTC on 30 November of their intention to fish in the Northern area from 1 to 3 December 2022. The absence of response from a vessel which is present and authorised will be interpreted as intention to fish.
• From 30 November onwards, the Secretariat will calculate a projected daily total catch against the catch limit for all vessels confirmed and present in the Northern area, using the average calculations described in CCAMLR-38, Annex 8 (paragraph 4).
• The Secretariat will inform Flag States and vessels of the outcomes of the calculated projection on 30 November and as required thereafter. After receiving 2 days of catch data, the forecast will be transitioned to a projection based on catch and effort from the current season, as established in CCAMLR-38, Annex 8, updated as recommended by SC-CAMLR-40, paragraph 3.37 and WG-FSA-2021, paragraphs 2.12 to 2.14.

5 – Data reporting requirements

5.1 – Daily reporting (CE data)

All vessels operating in the fishery are required to submit daily catch and effort reports as set out in CM 23-07, regardless of whether they are actively deploying or retrieving fishing gear.

The daily catch and effort reporting period is 0001–2400 UTC. Data must be provided to the Secretariat by 0600 UTC the following day. Failure to submit will generate an official reminder. Persistent failure to submit can result in closure of the fishery to the vessel involved (CM 23-07, paragraph 7).

Fishing activity in exploratory fisheries should be reported as commercial fishing (c).

Updated catch and effort reporting forms and detailed instructions in all languages have been placed on the Data (Forms) section of the CCAMLR website, and the instructions are attached to this COMM CIRC.

5.2 – Monthly reporting (C2 data)

Vessels in the fishery are also required to submit monthly fine-scale catch and effort reports (C2 form) as set out in CM 23-04.

Fishery Data Coordinators are assigned by Party Administrators and are the contacts used when the Secretariat has queries related to the provision of catch and effort data reports. If a Member does not have an assigned Fishery Data Coordinator, the Secretariat will direct all queries to the Member’s Scientific Committee Representative(s).

Please email all completed data forms to data@ccamlr.org.

5.3 – Vessel sightings

All vessels should report the sighting of other fishing vessels (including support vessels and reefer vessels) in the Convention Area, as required by CM 10-02, paragraph 2(iv).

The report should be sent by the Master of a licensed fishing vessel to the Flag State as soon as possible, as set out in Annex 10-02/A, paragraphs 1 and 2. The Flag State should submit the report to the Secretariat if it meets the criteria of CM 10-06, paragraph 3 (CP-IUU listing) or CM 10-07, paragraph 8 (NCP-IUU listing).

5.4 – Tagging

Toothfish caught in Subarea 88.1 and SSRUs 882A–B shall be tagged at the following rates:

1. In the N70 management area (CM 41-09, paragraph 2(i)): toothfish shall be tagged at a rate of at least one fish per tonne green weight caught.
2. In the S70 management area (CM 41-09, paragraph 2(ii)): toothfish shall be tagged at a rate of at least one fish per tonne green weight caught.
3. In the SRZ management area (CM 41-09, paragraph 2(iii)): toothfish shall be tagged at a rate of at least three fish per tonne green weight caught.

The tag-overlap statistic shall be calculated individually for each individual area (N70, S70 and SRZ). To support this requirement, Members can use a tag-overlap statistic calculator available on the CCAMLR website.

5.5 – By-catch move-on rules

Table 2: Summary of by-catch move-on rules in place for fisheries in Subarea 88.1 and SSRUs 882A–B.

5.6 – Vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME)

Vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) risk areas, in which fishing gear must not be set, are identified in the CCAMLR VME registry and in https://gis.ccamlr.org/.

Members are reminded of the vessel requirements in CM 22-07, paragraphs 3 to 5, to:

• clearly mark line segments;
• collect segment-specific data on the number of VME indicator units;
• if 10 or more VME indicator units are recovered within one line segment, immediately report to the Flag State and Secretariat the location of the midpoint of the line section, and the number of VME indicator units recovered, complete hauling lines intersecting with the risk area, and not set any further lines intersecting with the risk area; and
• if 5 or more VME indicator units are recovered within one line segment, immediately report to the Flag State and Secretariat the location of the midpoint of the line section and the number of VME indicator units recovered.

VME line segment data must be notified immediately to the Secretariat. The notification to the Secretariat is to be done by sending an email to data@ccamlr.org, informing the number of VME indicator units and the latitude and longitude of the midpoint of the line segment from which those VME indicator unites were recovered. The Secretariat will advise Flag States and vessels in a fishery of any notifications received under paragraphs 4 and 5 of CM 22-07.

5.7 – Dissostichus spp. Catch Documentation Scheme

In accordance with the requirements of CM 10-05, paragraphs 5 and 7, and Annex 10-05/A, paragraph A5, a Dissostichus Catch Document (DCD) must include: the net weight of Dissostichus spp. landed or transhipped, by species, product type, and by CCAMLR statistical subarea or division if caught in the Convention Area.

Therefore, catches from Subarea 88.1 must be reported in the DCD as 88.1; and catches from Subarea 88.2 SSRUs A and B must be reported in the DCD as 88.2.

5.8 – Transhipment notifications

The Secretariat reminds Members of the requirement to notify either 72 hours (CM 10-09, paragraph 2) or 2 hours (CM 10-09, paragraph 3) before every transhipment and to confirm the information of the transhipment within three (3) working days.

The Transhipment notifications are to be emailed to data@ccamlr.org on the form in Annex 10-09/A as required by CM 10-09, paragraph 4. The standardised form is available for all Members on the CCAMLR website.

Transhipments within the RSRMPA are prohibited except in cases where vessels are involved in an emergency relating to safety of human life at sea or engaged in a search and rescue operation (CM 91-05, paragraph 11).

6 – Communications

All communications from the Secretariat are sent to Fishery Update Contacts via email and will be made available to authenticated users through the secure section of the CCAMLR website Fishery Monitoring – Fishery Notices.

Fishery Update Contacts are assigned by Party Administrators for each Flag State. Contacts on this list will receive Fishery Notices and other communications sent via email throughout season for those fisheries where they have vessels participating and subject to catch limits and closure notices.

Communications will be sent to vessels notified in a fishery where they have an email address recorded as part of the vessel details submitted in accordance with CM 10-02 by the Party Administrator, unless the Secretariat is otherwise directed by the Flag State.

6.1 – Fishery Notices

Fishery forecasts made using the procedure in CCAMLR-38, Annex 8, Stage 1, will be issued via email to Fishery Update Contacts and vessels, and also made available through the CCAMLR website.

The information required by CM 23-07, paragraph 6, will be issued by Fishery Notice including:

• the total catch taken during the most recent reporting period;
• the total aggregate catch for the season to date;
• an estimate of the date on which the catch limit is likely to be reached for the season (the forecast closure date);
• the number of vessels active in the fishery, without identifying any particular vessel by name or flag; and
• the number of reports due, received and that have not yet been received (if any).

Fishery Notices will be issued daily for fisheries in the Northern area from the receipt of catch and effort data until closure is notified. For the other areas, Fishery Notices will be issued on weekdays, increasing to daily where closure is forecast.

6.2 – In-season procedures for forecasting the fishery closure date

The Secretariat will forecast closure dates separately for each of the areas listed in Table 1 as established in CCAMLR-38, Annex 8, updated as recommended by SC-CAMLR-40, paragraph 3.37 and WG-FSA-2021, paragraphs 2.12 to 2.14

The Secretariat will monitor vessel movements into the SRZ and Southern areas, and apply CCAMLR-38, Annex 8, Stage 1, if the number of vessels conducting fishing activity in an area is capable of exceeding the catch limit in one or two days of setting lines.

The Secretariat will communicate its forecasts at the earliest opportunity, prior to the predicted closure date and time, confirming the latest date and time that gear can be set prior to the closure, in accordance with CM 31-02, paragraph 2.

6.3 – Closure notices

The Secretariat will notify the closure of a fishery by COMM CIRC, which will also be sent by email to Fishery Update Contacts and vessels notified and licenced to participate in  the applicable fishery.

7 – Further information

If further information is required, please contact the Secretariat at fishery_monitoring@ccamlr.org.