SC-CAMLR-44

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 reviewed.

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. The provisional agenda will be reviewed and adopted.

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 consider issues that apply across all harvested species including catches and status of all stocks in the Convention Area, fishery notifications, inclding reports from Working Groups that concern all harvested species.

The Scientific Committee will review the progress of the Area 48 krill fishery in the 2024/25 fishing season including relevant advice from working groups on the development of acoustic biomass estimates of krill in Area 48, progress on the stock assessment of krill, further development of the spatial overlap analysis and management unit catch limits, and develop advice to the Commission.

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 Commission.

Status and general issues of the current season relative to specific finfish resources will be presented, including relevant advice from working groups on issues such as the age determination workshop, the stock assessment workplan, progress with management strategy evaluations, the Cap-DLISA workshop, and tagging program performance. The Scientific Committee will review recent developments and trends in finfish fisheries by area and species based on advice from the working groups and papers submitted. The Scientific Committee will develop advice for the Commissionas required. Any proposals for new fisheries will be considered in the agenda item covering the geographical area of the proposed fishery.

The conveners of the working groups will present advice 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 Commission.

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 Commission.

The conveners of the working groups will present advice regarding toothfish status in Area 48 (Subareas 48.1, 48.2, 48.3, 48.4 and 48.6) and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commission.

The conveners of the working groups will present advice regarding the status 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 Commission.

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

The conveners of the working groups will present advice regarding toothfish status 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 Commission.

The conveners of the working groups will present advice regarding the status of finfish resources in Area 88, including assessed fisheries, exploratory fisheries and research proposals and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commission.

The Scientific Committee will review the status of toothfish in Area 88 (Subareas 88.1 and 88.3 and small-scale research units (SSRUs) 882A–B and 882C–G) and develop advice to the Commission.

The Scientific Committee will consider general issues associated with non-target catch.

The Scientific Committee will review recent developments and trends in by-catch from fisheries in the Convention Area based on advice from the working group conveners and papers submitted. The Scientific Committee will consider the advice on developments in fishing methods, mitigation options, education and other matters relevant to minimising by-catch in both krill and finfish fisheries.

The conveners of the working groups will present advice regarding incidental mortality of seabirds and marine mammals and related information, and the Scientific Committee will develop advice to the Commission.

The Scientific Committee will consider advice on matters pertaining to to the effects of bottom fishing and vulnerable marine ecosystems.

The Scientific Committee will consider issues related to 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 CCAMLR Convention Area through the 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.

The Scientific Committee will review 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 Scientific Committee will review advice from the working groups on the performance of the Scheme of International Scientific Observation, and develop advice including observer tasking, sampling requirements, and logbook development.

The Scientific Committee will consider interactions and collaborations with other organisations

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 intersessional period will be received.

The Scientific Committee will review its activites from the current year and agree activities for the upcoming intersessional period, including the use of funds, working group leadership and workplan priorities.

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 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 Secretariat will report on progress with its Strategic Plan, CCAMLR Science, and tasking from the Scientific Committee.

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 including 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.

The Scientific Committee will advise SCAF on the cost of ongoing projects and new proposals, including expenditure from Special Funds, as well as any funding requests 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 will receive advice from SCAF on matters of relevance to 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.