Antarctic krill fisheries management and the need to retain CM 51-07

ASOC strongly supports the recommendation of WG-EMM-16 that Conservation Measure 51-07 should be retained while alternative strategies and feedback management (FBM) are under evaluation. Discussions at WG-EMM-16 provided further evidence that concentrating krill fishing operations in areas being used by land-based predators puts predators at risk from localized depletion. Consequently, ASOC expects CCAMLR to endorse the scientific advice from its working group. Although it has some weaknesses, CM 51-07 has minimized the risks of localized krill depletion and therefore should not be allowed to lapse. ASOC also urges SC-CAMLR and the Commission to develop additional means of preventing overlap between fishing locations and predator foraging areas to minimize the risk of fishery impacts on krill predators.