Incidental mortality arising from fisheries activities around Kerguelen Island (Division 58.5.1)

Causes of incidental mortality owing to fisheries activities around Kerguelen (Division 58.5.1) have been identified. The most significant mortality has been noted during directed trawling for Champsocephalus gunnari on the Kerguelen shelf. This is caused by the electrical cable linking the trawler to the trawl (Netsonde system), which mainly affects black-browed albatrosses (Diomedea melanophris). An experimental long-lining cruise in deep waters at the shelf edge also showed the potential impact of this type of fishery if it develops in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean. Trammel net fishing for research purposes in the coastal zone does not present any real danger for populations of marine birds and mammals if it remains limited. All types of mortality can be reduced, and ways of doing so are suggested for each fishery.