CCAMLR Marine Debris Monitoring Program, 2024

The CCAMLR marine debris monitoring program (MDMP) compiles data from surveys and opportunistic sightings conducted by Members, fishing gear reported by vessels and CCAMLR Scheme of International Scientific Observation (SISO) observers as lost by fishing vessels, and marine debris (including fishing gear) observed at-sea by observers. Most debris reported are plastic items or fishing gear, and the quantity of debris observed each year is increasing, although standardising for effort is difficult given the format of currently reported data. Lost longline gear reported by fishing vessels in the Convention Area has been decreasing in recent years, although for this season, there was a sharp increase in the proportion of line lost. Trawl gear lost within the Convention Area is currently not quantifiable, although rare. Work is underway to include a mechanism for reporting of lost trawl gear by vessels. While spatial patterns in gear loss reflects spatial patterns in fishing effort, some areas show higher rates of loss, likely due to a combination of sea ice dynamics, currents, and seafloor characteristics. Continued developmental work by the Intersessional Correspondence Group on Marine Debris (ICG-MD) is needed to develop and standardise marine debris metrics for reporting and progress methods to facilitate the sampling and monitoring of both macro- and micro-debris (such as micro plastics) in the Convention Area.