Fisheries Management and Ecosystem Monitoring in the Southern Ocean

The Commission for the Conservation of Marine Living Resources, otherwise known as CCAMLR, is the governing body established as part of the Antarctic treaty system to regulate fisheries in the Southern Ocean. Due to concern about the exploitation of Antarctic krill (Euphasia superba), a key prey item in the Antarctic marine food web, the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Programme (CEMP) aims to account for the needs of predator species when setting conservation measures such as catch limits. This precautionary approach is integral to the conservation objectives of CCAMLR and the rational use of marine resources. Predator parameters and environmental conditions are monitored as they are likely to be important for both predator and prey species. In the krill fishery, a krill yield model allows for krill escapement and trigger levels are set to protect dependent predators and minimize ecosystem effects. The scale of management units should be taken into account for a better understanding of the effects of harvesting and allow for faster management response. Future challenges such as climate change could further complicate the ecosystem based approach, but may be anticipated by the precautionary management of CCAMLR and the ecosystem monitoring programme