In line with ARK's mission to facilitate the development of a sustainable fishery of Antarctic krill, we provide CCAMLR with ongoing improvements and recommendations on safety and transparency within the krill fishery.
We also conducted a proof of concept using AIS data to monitor "encounter" events between fishing and cargo vessels within the current krill fishing season. AIS data allowed us to identify 62 encounter events among 8 krill trawlers and 21 cargo vessels between 1/DEC/2022 and 12/JUN/2023. Encounters occurred at specific locations in Subarea 48.1 and 48.2. The high temporal resolution of AIS data even allows for estimating the duration of each encounter event. All vessels in the krill fishery and all cargo vessels are equipped with AIS, and the data is readily accessible via subscription from various providers. When combined with additional records from scientific observers, this data can provide a valuable mechanism for verifying transshipment events within CCAMLR fisheries.