Since the 2012/13 fishing season, the Chinese krill fishing vessels have been conducting annual acoustic survey on Antarctic krill in Subarea 48.1. To facilitate the implementation of revised new krill management approach, additional efforts were devoted to the annual survey with survey area further extended covering the strata of the Gerlache Strait (GS), Joinvile Island (JI) and the Elephant Island (EI) since the 2021/22 fishing season. Here, we present the implementation and preliminary results on the krill acoustic density distribution from the 2023 and 2024 surveys. Concentrations of high density krill swarms were frequently observed in the JI stratum and the nearshore area to Antarctic peninsula in the strata of GS and BS during the 2023 winter survey, while no evident spatial distribution pattern could be observed during the 2024 summer survey.
Preliminary results from the acoustic surveys of Antarctic krill conducted by the Chinese fishing vessels in Subarea 48.1 during austral winter 2023 and summer 2024
Document Number:
WG-ASAM-2024/15
Submitted By:
Dr Xinliang Wang (China)
Approved By:
Dr Xianyong Zhao (China)
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Abstract