SC-CAMLR-43

The Chair of the Scientific Committee will open the meeting and welcome delegations of CCAMLR Members and observers. The organisation of the meeting, chairing and local arrangements will be discussed.

The Preliminary Agenda of the Scientific Committee meeting was prepared and distributed in accordance with Rule 5 of the Scientific Committee's Rules of Procedure and the HOD decision of 28 March 2024. The agenda includes a new item (Item 5) Ecosystem monitoring and management.

The Chair will report on intersessional activities undertaken since its last meeting, including considerations of the last Commission's response to the advice from the last Scientific Committee meeting.

The Scientific Committee will develop advice on management of krill fisheries, including status trends and general issues for the current season, including relevant advice from working groups.

Area 48 Krill

The Scientific Committee will consider advice from relevant working groups and papers on the development of acoustic biomass estimates of krill in Area 48 and develop advice to the Commmission.

The Scientific Committee will consider advice from relevant working groups and papers on progress toward developing a stock assessment for krill in Area 48 and develop advice to the Commmission.

The Scientific Committee will consider advice from relevant working groups and papers on the development of the spatial overlap analysis in support of the krill management approach for krill in Area 48 and develop advice to the Commmission.

The Scientific Committee will consider advice from relevant working groups and papers relevant to ecosystem effects, including incidental mortality associated with the harvesting of krill resources in Area 48 and develop advice to the Commmission. Additional aspects of ecosystem effects and data collection needs will be discussed under Agenda Item 5.

The Scientific Committee will consider the report from the Harmonisation Symposium including further development of any scientific work requested by the Symposium

The Scientific Committee will consider advice from relevant working groups and papers relevant to the the assessment and management of krill in Area 58 and develop advice to the Commmission.

Status and general issues of the current season relative to finfish resources will be presented, including relevant advice from working groups. Members will be invited to inform the Scientific Committee of recent developments and trends in finfish fisheries in the Convention Area. Research plans and proposals will be considered by area and species. Reporting from the WS-ADM2 directly to the Scientific Committee will be considered here. The Scientific Committee will develop advice specific to the Commission under each agenda sub-item. Any proposals for new fisheries will be considered in the geographical area of the proposed fishery.

The conveners of the working groups will present sections of their reports relevant to icefish and toothfish resources in Area 48, including assessed fisheries, exploratory fisheries and research proposals and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commmission.

The Scientific Committee will review and confirm that the biennial assessment results and catch limit advice for icefish in Subarea 48.3 should remain in place and develop its advice and develop advice to the Commmission.

The conveners of the working groups will present sections of their reports dealing with toothfish assessments in Area 48 (Subareas 48.1, 48.2, 48.3 and 48.4) and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commmission.

The conveners of the working groups will present sections of their reports dealing with the assessment of icefish and toothfish resources in Area 58, including assessed fisheries, exploratory fisheries and research proposals and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commmission.

The Scientific Committee will review the assessment results and catch limit advice for icefish in Division 58.5.2 and develop its advice.

The conveners of the working groups will present sections of their reports dealing with toothfish assessments in Area 58 (Subareas 58.6 and 58.7 and Divisions 58.4.1, 58.4.2, 58.4.3a, 58.4.3b, 58.4.4a, 58.4.4b, 58.5.1 and 58.5.2) and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commmission.

The conveners of the working groups will present sections of their reports dealing with the assessment of toothfish resources in Area 88, including assessed fisheries, exploratory fisheries and research proposals and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commmission.

The Scientific Committee will review the assessment results and catch limit advice for toothfish assessments in Area 88 (Subareas 88.1 and 88.3 and small-scale research units (SSRUs) 882A–B and 882C–G) and develop its advice.

By-catch data and related information for the current season will be presented. Members will be invited to inform the Scientific Committee of recent developments and trends in by-catch from fisheries in the Convention Area. The Scientific Committee will consider the recommendations of the working groups on developments in fishing methods, mitigation options, education and other matters relevant to minimising by-catch in both krill and finfish fisheries.

The working groups will present the relevant sections of their reports on incidental mortality of seabirds and marine mammals and related information and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commmission.

The Scientific Committee will consider advice on the implementation of Conservation Measures (CMs) 22-05, 22-06, 22-07, 22-08 and 22-09 and other matters pertaining to bottom fishing and vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Following SC-CAMLR-42 9.31, a new agenda item has been added to focus on ecosystem status monitoring and management activities targeting ecosystem conservation. This agenda item focusses on developing advice to the Commission regarding ecosystem issues not directly associated with fishing activities, such as CEMP, CEMP Special fund results, Ecosystem status reporting, and marine debris monitoring.

The Scientific Committee will consider spatial approaches to management within the Convention Area.

The Scientific Committee will review aspects of performance of existing MPAs including the development of research and monitoring plans for the evaluation of MPAs.

The Scientific Committee will consider scientific analysis and develop advice relevant to the implementation of a representative system of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the CAMLR Convention Area through the review and development of advice regarding scientific aspects of proposals for new marine protected areas.

The Scientific Committee will consider other issues of spatial management (e.g. Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs)).

The Scientific Committee will consider advice from the working groups on the science required to inform management responses to climate change (SC-CAMLR-XXVII, paragraphs 7.12 to 7.15).

The convener of WG-FSA will report on scientific information relevant to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity in the Convention Area. The Scientific Committee will provide scientific advice to the Standing Committee on Implementation and Compliance (SCIC) and the Commission.

The Secretariat will summarise data received in accordance with the Scheme of International Scientific Observation. The conveners of the working groups will present relevant sections of their reports.

Reports will be received from representatives of organisations within the Antarctic Treaty System.

Reports will be received from representatives of international and non-governmental organisations present as Observers at the Scientific Committee meeting.

Reports of meetings of other international organisations during the 2022/23 intersessional period will be received.

The Scientific Committee will discuss the further development of cooperation with other international organisations and consider any proposals for cooperation received by the Scientific Committee, including joint workshops.

The Scientific Committee will receive an update on science funds, including the progress of CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) Special Fund awards and consider the recommendations of the CEMP Special Fund Management Panel regarding evaluation of current research proposals.

The Scientific Committee will receive an update on the progress of the current scholarship recipients and consider the outcomes of the selection process for the next year of the scholarship scheme.

The Scientific Committee will review progress on the implementation of its strategic workplan including progress on its high priority scientific issues.The Scientific Committee will review priorities for the intersessional activities of the Scientific Committee. This will include identifying the dates and venues for meetings of working groups and workshops, election and funding requirements of any conveners of working groups or workshops.

The Scientific Committee will consider support for workshops, working groups meetings, and cooperation with other organisations to progress its work.

On the basis of advice from working group conveners, and in accordance with Rule 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Scientific Committee, the Scientific Committee will consider the invitations for any invited experts or observer organisations to attend intersessional meetings of its working groups and workshops.

The Scientific Committee will consider the position of Vice-Chair in accordance with Rule 8 of its Rules of Procedure. Dr A. Lowther (Norway) was elected in 2022 for two years (2023 and 2024) and is currently the Senior vice-chair. Dr. Gighliotti (Italy) was elected in 2023 for the 2024 and 2025 meetings and is currently the Junior Vice chair.

The Scientific Committee will consider the dates of its next meeting

The Scientific Committee will consider the Secretariat's report on work in support of the Scientific Committee during the 2022/23 intersessional period (see also Agenda Item 1.2) and will consider priorities for the 2024/25 intersessional period as well as the Secretariat Strategic Plan and items identified for Secretariat work. The Secretariat will report on progress with its Strategic Plan, CCAMLR Science, and tasking from the Scientific Committee.

The financial implications of decisions taken during the meeting will be used to identify issues to be raised with the Standing Committee on Administration and Finance (SCAF) for funding during 2024/25. This will include the total costs of ongoing projects and new proposals, including expenditure from Special Funds and other monies made available to the Scientific Committee as well as from the CCAMLR General Fund. Budgetary items that have implications for longer-term funding will also be reviewed. In developing its budget advice, the Scientific Committee will need to consider the working group requirements for workshops and invited experts, and review the use of science-related special funds. In accordance with established practice, the Chair will provide preliminary advice to SCAF and the Standing Committee on Implementation and Compliance (SCIC), and will receive advice on matters of relevance to the Scientific Committee from these standing committees, which will meet concurrently with the meeting of the Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee will provide the Commission with summaries of its recommendations to SCIC and SCAF.

The Scientific Committee will consider any other business.

The Scientific Committee will adopt the report of the Forty-third Meeting.

The chair will close the meeting.