This document outlines a comprehensive plan for at-sea krill data collection to support the revised Krill Fishery Management Approach (KFMA), focusing on biomass estimation, stock assessment calculation, and the Krill Stock Hypothesis (KSH). It consolidates data requirements across various sampling platforms and proposes updates to existing protocols, especially for observers in the Scientific Observer Program (SISO). The plan emphasizes the use of structured fisheries acoustic surveys and standardized biological sampling using RMT 8+1 nets.
Recommendations include ensuring daily krill sampling during commercial fishing by the SISO observers, and improving integration of data from environmental parameters and other monitoring platforms.
Summaries of krill fishing activities (2015 to 2025) and current data collection efforts reveal spatial and seasonal gaps, underscoring the need for adaptive, collaborative long-term monitoring strategies. Enhanced data standardization and coordination across national programs, research vessels, and industry are essential for progressing KFMA and ensuring ecosystem-based management.
This document serves as a foundation for planning and implementing strategic krill monitoring, to be further discussed within the CCAMLR, particularly during the upcoming WG-ASAM-2025 and WG-EMM 2025 meetings.