Results of E.L. Holmberg 1997 fish survey in Subarea 48.3

The survey comprised 51 bottom trawl hauls taken in subarea 48.3. Of these, one was discarded due to net damage. About 80% of the hauls were taken in the shelf of South Georgia Islands (41) and the remaining in the Shag Rocks area (9); 64% of the hauls were intended as replicates of the position of hauls in the previous cruises. Mean densities were obtained considering the spatial aggregation of stations in a nested ANOVA model. No significant changes in the mean densities of several species, including Champsocephalus gunnari at the shelf of the South Georgia Islands. The age and size structure of this species in the whole subarea 48.3, is dominated by younger fish (less than two years). Four years and below: 99.07% at the South Georgia Islands and 98.57 % at Shag Rocks.