Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(Basic Instrument for the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic
Marine Living Resources B CCAMLR)

**[Basic Instrument]{.underline}**

Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(TIAS 10240),1982.

**[Implementing Legislation]{.underline}**

Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention Act of 1984 (16
U.S.C.2431).

**[Member Nations]{.underline}**

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, European Community,
France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Namibia, New
Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
United States of America, Uruguay (note: Bulgaria, Canada, Finland,
Greece, the Netherlands, Peru and Vanuatu have acceded to the
Convention, but are not members of the Commission).

**[Commission Headquarters]{.underline}**

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

123 Harrington Street

Hobart, Tasmania 7000 Australia

Executive Secretary: Denzil Miller

Telephone: 61 3 6231 0366

Fax: 61 3 6234 9965

E-mail: ccamlr@ccamlr.org

Web address: www.ccamlr.org

**[Budget]{.underline}**

The Commission approved a budget of Australian \$3,080,300
(approximately U.S. \$2.4 million)for 2005. The U.S. share for the
budget was requested at \$106,287 (\$U.S. \$82,900).

**[U.S. Representation]{.underline}**

A. Appointment Process:

The Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of
Commerce and the Director of the National Science Foundation, appoints
an officer or employee of the United States as the U.S. representative
to the Commission. The Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the
National Science Foundation, with the concurrence of the Secretary of
State, designates the U.S. representative to the Scientific Committee.

B. U.S. Representative to the Commission:

Raymond Arnaudo

Deputy Director, Office of Ocean Affairs

OES/OA, DOS - Room 5801

Washington, D.C. 20520

Telephone: (202) 647-3925

U.S. Representative to the Scientific Committee:

Rennie Holt

Director, Antarctic Ecosystem Research Group

NOAA/NMFS/F/SWC

P.O. Box 271

La Jolla, CA 92038

Telephone: (858) 546-5601

C. Advisory Structure:

The U.S. Representative to the Scientific Committee is responsible for
providing scientific advice to the Commissioner on the operation of the
U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) directed research program;
on the status of krill, finfish, squid, marine mammal, and bird
populations; on data requirements; on the long-term program of work of
the Scientific Committee; and on recommendations for conservation and
management measures.

The Commission also receives advice from its two standing committees,
the Standing Committee on Compliance and Inspection (SCIC) and the
Standing Committee on Administration and Finance (SCAF).

Permanent Working Groups on Fish Stock Assessment (WG-FSA) and Ecosystem
Monitoring and Management (WG-EMM) have been constituted to develop and
review research proposals and results.

The Commission is also assisted by an ad hoc Working Group on Incidental
Mortality Associated with Fishing (WG-FSA-IMAF) and a Subgroup on
Assessment Methods (WG-FSA-SAM).

**[Description]{.underline}**

A. Mission/Purpose:

The 1982 Convention established CCAMLR for the purpose of protecting and
conserving the marine living resources in the waters surrounding
Antarctica. The Convention is based upon an ecosystem approach to the
conservation of marine living resources and incorporates standards
designed to ensure the conservation of individual populations and
species and the Antarctic marine ecosystem as a whole.

The Convention applies to the Antarctic marine living resources of the
area south of 60% South latitude and to the Antarctic marine living
resources of the area between that latitude and the Antarctic
Convergence which form part of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. The
Antarctic Convergence is deemed to be a line joining the following
points along parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude: 50S, 0;
50S, 30E; 45S, 30E; 45S, 80E; 55S, 80E; 55S, 150E; 60S,
150E; 60S, 150E; 60S, 50W; 50S, 50W; 50S, 0.

B. Organizational Structure:

CCAMLR is comprised of the Commission, Executive Secretary, and the
Scientific Committee. The Commission consists of one representative from
each member nation and is responsible for facilitating research,
compiling data on the status of and changes in Antarctic marine living
resources, ensuring the acquisition of catch and effort data, publishing
information, identifying conservation needs, adopting conservation
measures, and implementing a system of observation and inspection. The
Executive Secretary handles the administrative matters for the
Commission. The Scientific Committee is comprised of scientific advisors
from the member nations. It sponsors the permanent working groups and
recommends research programs and conservation and other measures to the
Commission. These are WG-FSA and WG EMM.

U.S. participation on the Scientific Committee and on WG-FSA and WG-EMM
is supported by the activities of the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (AMLR) Directed Research Program, conducted by the National
Marine Fisheries Service=s Antarctic Ecosystem Research Group (AERG),
Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, California.

C. Programs:

The Commission adopted its first conservation measures during the 1984
session (CCAMLR III). The conservation and management measures adopted
by the twenty-third meeting of restrict overall catches and bycatch of
certain species of fish, krill and crab; limit participation in several
exploratory fisheries; restrict fishing in certain areas and to certain
gear types; set fishing seasons; require the use of a centralized Vessel
Monitoring System: and urge the Members of CCAMLR as a matter of
priority to adopt and use the electronic Dissostichus catch document.
The Commission also adopted a number of non-binding resolutions urging
action by Commission Members and Contracting Parties. More specifically,
measures include:

*Compliance*

The Commission adopted a measure that requires CCAMLR member countries
to submit additional detail to the CCAMLR Secretariat on every vessel
that the member licenses to fish in the CCAMLR Convention Area,
including the vessel=s International Maritime Organization (IMO) number,
if issued, the name and address of the vessel=s owner(s) and any
beneficial owner(s), if known, and three color photographs of the
vessel. The Commission also agreed that information on a number of other
vessel details should,to the extent practicable, be provided by Members.
The requirement for the additional information specified in the revised
measure will not enter into force until August 1, 2005, to give Members
time to collect the additional detail. A list of licensed vessels will
be placed on the password protected, Members only section of the CCAMLR
website.

Based upon the results of a trial conducted during the 2003/2004 fishing
season, the Commission revised the requirements for its vessel
monitoring system (VMS) and adopted a conservation measure to implement
centralized VMS (C-VMS). This conservation measure requires a vessel
fishing in CCAMLR managed waters to use a VMS that automatically
transmits the vessel=s position at least every four hours to a
land-based fisheries monitoring center of its Flag State. Each
Contracting Party to the Convention must forward the VMS reports and
messages received to the CCAMLR Secretariat as soon as possible, but not
later than four hours after receipt for exploratory longline fisheries
or following departure from the Convention Area for all other fisheries.
The conservation measure requires the CCAMLR Secretariat to place a list
of vessels submitting VMS reports on a password-protected section of the
CCAMLR website. The list will be divided into subareas and divisions,
without indicating the exact position of vessels. The conservation
measure also requires the CCAMLR Secretariat to transmit VMS data and
reports using secure Internet protocols Secure Socket Layer (SSL), (Data
Encryption Standard (DES) or verified certificates obtained from the
Secretariat. These protocols are similar to those in use by the North
Atlantic fisheries Organization (NAFO). The US informed CCAMLR that
although the new conservation measure only requires centralized VMS
reporting in the CCAMLR Convention Area, the US would continue to
require Its flagged vessels as well as the vessels whose catch of
toothfish is imported into the United States to have on board a VMS unit
that transmits the vessel=s position from port to port every four hours.

The Commission adopted amendments to its conservation measures
delineating a process for the listing of vessels suspected of illegal,
unregulated or unreported (IUU) fishing or trading (the IUU vessel
list). The Commission will require additional detail on any vessel
proposed by a Member for inclusion on the CCAMLR IUU Vessel List
including previous names, flags, owners, and operators and a summary of
activities that justify inclusion of the vessel on the list. The vessels
agreed for listing are the Amorinn, Apache I, Champion I, Golden Sun,
Hammer, Koko, Lucky Star, Maya V, Piscis, Ross, Sargo, Sherpa Uno and
Thule. All CCAMLR members are urged to prohibit trade with the vessels
on the CCAMLR IUU Vessel List. NMFS may implement a prohibition on the
importation of toothfish harvested by vessels identified on the CCAMLR
IUU vessel list in a future rulemaking.

*Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS)*

The Commission adopted a resolution noting the successful completion of
the electronic toothfish document trial and urging CCAMLR Contracting
and Non-Contracting Parties to adopt the electronic format as a matter
of priority. The US indicated its intention to require that all imports
of toothfish be documented using the electronic format through future
rule making. The Commission deferred a decision on clarifying the
definitions of port state, transshipment, landing, export and import to
further intersessional work. The United States indicated that it would
continue to interpret these terms as it has been interpreting them.

I*ncidental Mortality Associated with Fishing*

The Commission endorsed the Scientific Committee=s recommendations for a
protocol for testing integrated weighted longlines in new and
exploratory fisheries and revised the seabird mitigation conservation
measures to require use of the protocol. The protocol was required in
Subareas 88.1 and 88.2 during the 2003/2004 season as a part of an
experimental trial. Under the revised conservation measure, fishers
employing the protocol to test the sink rate of their longlines are now
allowed to set lines in Subareas 48.6, 88.1 and 88.2 Divisions 58.4.1,
58.4.2, 58.4.3a, 58.4.3b and 58.5.2 during daylight hours. Lines sinking
at the rate specified in the protocol lessen the time during which bait
on the lines is visible and attractive to seabirds. Fishers not
employing the protocol are restricted to night setting to minimize
seabird interaction.

The Commission confirmed that all seabird bycatch limits set in
conservation measures include both the count of dead seabirds and those
injured but released alive.

The Commission agreed with the recommendation of its Working Group on
the Incidental Mortality Associated with Fishing that Aoffal@ be defined
to include discarded bait and discarded fish bycatch.

The Commission adopted a resolution inviting the Inter-American Tropical
Tuna Commission, the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas, The South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, the
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, the Commission for the Conservation of
Southern Bluefin Tunas, the Agreement on the Organization of the
Permanent Commission on the Exploitation and Conservation of the Marine
Resources of the South Pacific, the Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries
Commission, the Commission for Highly Migratory Species in the Central
and Western Pacific, and the Western Indian Ocean Tuna to implement or
develop mechanisms to require the collection, reporting and
dissemination of data on incidental mortality of seabirds. CCAMLR
Members who are also members of these Regional Fishery Management
Organizations (RFMO)are urged to raise issues of seabird mortality
within those organizations. The resolution also urges Flag States
conducting longline and other fishing outside the CCAMLR Convention Area
which incidentally takes seabirds of species breeding inside the
Convention Area in areas where such mechanisms are unavailable or where
systematic reporting has not commenced to provide the CCAMLR Secretariat
with summary data. Finally, the resolution encourages Flag States
involved with new and developing RFMOs to request that incidental
mortality of seabirds and other taxa is adequately addressed and
mitigated by the RFMO.

The Scientific Committee recommended several seal bycatch mitigation
measures to the Commission. The Commission endorsed these measures in
its report but did not adopt a conservation measure. These measures were
that: (1) information on all seal excluder devices be combined and
circulated to CCAMLR member countries and other interested parties; (2)
every vessel fishing for krill employ a device for excluding seals or
facilitating their escape from the trawl net; (3) observers on krill
vessels be required to collect reliable data on seal entrapment and on
the effectiveness of mitigation devices: (4) all observers complete data
forms accurately, consistently and comprehensively; and (5) the United
Kingdom be requested to submit their observer data to the CCAMLR
Secretariat. The United States will implement these measures for its
fishers as a condition of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

harvesting permits.

*Vessel Safety*

The Commission adopted a resolution urging Members to promote the safety
of all those on board vessels fishing in the Convention Area by assuring
that fishing crews and scientific observers receive survival training
and are provided with appropriate and well maintained equipment and
clothing.

*Exploratory Fisheries*

The Commission revised its conservation measure on exploratory fisheries
to require specific and detailed information on the vessels that are
notified for participation in exploratory fisheries. A vessel on the IUU
Vessel List established by the Commission will not be permitted to
participate in exploratory fisheries.

*Data reporting*

The Commission revised its conservation measure requiring that 5-day
catch and effort reports reach the CCAMLR Secretariat not later than two
working days after the end of the reporting period for exploratory
fisheries to apply to all other fisheries reporting under the 5-day
catch and effort system. The conservation measures also permits
Contracting Parties to authorize its vessels to report directly to the
Secretariat. The Commission noted in the report of its meeting its
agreement that monthly catches in krill fisheries should continue to be
reported using the format and deadline specified in the monthly catch
and effort reporting system.

*Prohibitions on Directed Fishing*

The Commission revised the conservation measure prohibiting directed
fishing for [Dissostichus]{.underline} species to apply it from December
1, 2004, to November 30, 2005, in Statistical Subarea 48.5 and continued
the indefinite prohibitions on directed fishing for
[Dissostichus]{.underline} and certain other finfish species in
conservation measures adopted at earlier meetings.

The Commission through a new conservation measure limited directed
fishing in the 2004/2005 season in Division 58.5.2 to
[Dissostichus]{.underline} [eleginoides]{.underline} and
C[hampsocephalus]{.underline} [gunnari]{.underline} and set bycatch
limits for other species.

# Dissostichus Species

The Commission extended the general measures in its conservation measure
for exploratory fisheries for [Dissostichus]{.underline} species in the
Convention Area to the 2004/2005 season. The Commission also adopted
area specific conservation measures for [Dissostichus]{.underline}
species for the 2004/2005 season.

The Commission set a catch limit of 3,050 tons for the longline fishery
for [D]{.underline}. [eleginoides]{.underline} in Subarea 48.3 in the
2004/2005 season, set bycatch limits on other species and indicated that
any catch of crab in any pot fishery will count against the catch limit
for crab in Subarea 48.

The Commission set a combined catch limit of 2,787 tons of
[D]{.underline}. [eleginoides]{.underline} in Division 58.5.2 west of
7920=E from December 1, 2004, to November 30, 2005 for trawl fishing
and from May 1, 2005 to August 31, 2005 for longline fishing.

The Commission designated several [Dissostichus]{.underline} fisheries
as exploratory fisheries for the 2004/2005 fishing season. These
fisheries are total allowable catch fisheries and are open only to the
flagged vessels of countries that notified CCAMLR of an interest by
named vessels to participate in the fisheries.

The exploratory fisheries for [Dissostichus]{.underline} species
authorized by the Commission for the 2004/2005 fishing season include
the following: (1) longline fishing in Statistical Division 58.4.1 by
Chile, republic of Korea, New Zealand, Spain and Ukraine; (2) longline
fishing in Statistical Subarea 48.6 by Japan, Republic of Korea and New
Zealand; (3) longline fishing in Statistical Division 58.4.2 by Chile,
Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Spain and Ukraine; (4) longline fishing
in Statistical Division 58.4.3a (the Elan Bank) outside areas under
national jurisdiction by Australia, Republic of Korea and Spain; (5)
longline fishing in Statistical Division 58.4.3b (the BANZARE Bank)
outside areas of national jurisdiction by Australia, Chile, Japan,
Republic of Korea and Spain; (6) longline fishing in Statistical Subarea
88.1 by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa,
Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Uruguay; and (7) longline fishing in
Statistical Subarea 88.2 by Argentina, New Zealand, Norway and Russia.

*Champsocephalus gunnari*

The Commission also adopted area specific conservation measures for
[C]{.underline}. [gunnari]{.underline} for the 2004/2005 season.

The Commission set the overall catch limit for the [C]{.underline}.
[gunnari]{.underline} trawl fishery in Subarea 48.3 for the 2004/2005
season at 3,574 tons and continued previously adopted restrictions on
the fishery.

The Commission also set the catch limit for [C]{.underline}.
[gunnari]{.underline} trawl fishery within defined areas of Division
58.5.2 for the 2004/2005 season at 1,864 tons and continued previously
adopted restrictions on and reporting requirements for the fishery.

*Crab*

The Commission set the total allowable catch level for the pot fishery
for crab for the 2004/2005 fishing season at 1,600 tons and continued to
limit participation to one vessel per member country conducted as an
experimental harvest regime.

# 

*Squid*

The Commission set the total allowable catch limit for the exploratory
jig fishery for [Martialia]{.underline} [hyadesi]{.underline} for the
2004/2005 fishing season at 2,500 tons.

# Krill

The Commission carried forward the precautionary catch limits for krill
in Statistical Area 48 at 4.0 million tons overall and, as divided by
subareas, at 1.008 million tons in Subarea 48.1, 1.104 million tons in
Subarea 48.2, 1.056 million tons in Subarea 48.3, and 0.832 million tons
in Subarea 48.4.

*Bycatch*

The Commission through a new conservation measure revised the
limitations on bycatch in new and exploratory fisheries in Statistical
Division 58.5.2 for the 2004/2005 season.

The Commission through a new conservation measure also revised the
bycatch limits in all new and exploratory fisheries for the 2004/2005
season in all areas containing SSRUs (Statistical Subareas 48.6, 88.1
and 88.2, and Statistical Subdivisions 58.4.2, 58.4.3a, 58.4.3b) for all
[Macrourus]{.underline}, skates and rays, and other species.

## Protected Areas

The Commission revised the conservation measure requirements for
information to be detailed on maps appended to management plans for
CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) sites. The Commission amended
the background information in the annexes to the conservation measures
for the protection the Cape Shirreff and Seal Islands CEMP sites. The
amendments were made to correctly reflect the extent and development of
human activities in the early 1880s.

D. Activities and Meetings

The CCAMLR Scientific Committee will hold the following meetings in
2006:

WG-FSA Subgroup on Assessment Methods

July 10-14, 2006, Namibia

WG-EMM

July 17-28, 2006, Namibia

WG-FSA (including the Ad hoc WG-IMAF)

October 9-20, 2006

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

The 25^th^ Annual Meetings of the Commission and Scientific Committee
are on October 23-November 3, 2006, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

**[Staff Contacts]{.underline}**

[NOAA Fisheries]{.underline}:

Robin Tuttle

Office of Science and Technology (F/ST3)

National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA

1315 East-West Highway, Room 12643

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Telephone: (301) 713-2282, ext. 199

[Department of State]{.underline}:

Raymond Arnaudo

Deputy Director, Office of Ocean Affairs (OES)

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20520

Telephone: (202) 647-3925