The SCAR Krill Expert Group (SKEG) aims to improve the understanding of krill biology and ecology and serve as a link between the scientific krill community and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which manages the Antarctic krill fishery. SKEG also provides a platform for research direction, information exchange, and collaboration within the krill community, with a focus on early career researchers (ECRs). The 2023 SKEG annual workshop was held virtually over five days in March 2023, with 83 participants from 13 countries, including ECRs. The number of participants provided a sufficient sample size for polling questions to support CCAMLR in the process of developing a KSH for their revised krill fishery management approach. Its focal topic was the development of a Krill Stock Hypothesis for CCAMLR Area 48. The current document serves as a record of the workshop and a report to CCAMLR’s working group on Ecosystem Monitoring and Management (WG-EMM) which is tasked with developing advice on krill fishery management.
The workshop developed a preliminary KSH and identified key data requirements to support further refinement of the KSH. These include more data on krill length distributions, standardized test hauls, and information on egg and larvae distribution, recruitment locations, and year-class strength. Several recommendations were made for WG-EMM, including reviewing and recommending the Krill Stock Hypothesis (KSH) as a tool for managing the krill fishery, to identify critical aspects of the KSH that need testing, considering ways to collect necessary information, and to identify data which can be collected by krill fishing vessels or scientific observers. These recommendations aim to develop robust management options for the krill fishery, including more data on krill length distributions, standardized test hauls, and information on egg and larvae distribution, recruitment locations, and year-class strength.