OPERATIONAL DIFFICULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE CCAMLR TAGGING PROTOCOL IN DIVISION 58.4.1 IN 2007/08

The Uruguayan-flagged longliner Banzare experienced sea-ice related, operational difficulties in implementing the CCAMLR Tagging Protocol in Division 58.4.1 in 2007/08. Extensive sea-ice cover greatly increased the transit times between research haul locations, which resulted in long soak times and a high mortality rate of fish on these lines; only fish with a high chance of survival were tagged. In brief: • The vessel started fishing in Division 58.4.1 SSRU E on 6 January 2008 but only completed one haul (no catch) due to adverse ice conditions, and the vessel exited that Division; • The vessel returned to Division 58.4.1 SSRU C and resumed fishing on 27 January 2008, completing 16 hauls including 10 research hauls. The vessel then moved to SSRU E on 3 February 2008 and completed 3 hauls (note: SSRU G was closed on 30 January 2008). • The vessel caught a total of 9.757 t of Dissostichus mawsoni in Division 58.4.1 and tagged and released 10 fish (tagging rate: 1.02 fish/tonne), which was below the tagging rate of 3 fish tagged per tonne of green weight caught required in Conservation Measure 41-11(2007). The vessel and authorities were aware that the extensive sea-ice cover had prevented the vessel from tagging fish in Division 58.4.1 at the rate required by CCAMLR. As a result, the vessel made every effort to tag fish in excess of the required rate when the opportunity arose: • in Division 58.4.3a the vessel tagged fish at a rate of 4.9 fish/tonne; • in Division 58.4.3b the vessel tagged fish at a rate of 4.6 fish/tonne;