Research plan for the exploratory fisheries for Dissostichus spp. in Division 58.4.2 in 2014/15

Historical catch and effort data recorded by all effective vessels were analyzed using the latest CCAMLR C2 and observer data toward the development of research plan for the 2014/15 exploratory fishery of Dissostichus mawsoni in Subarea 58.4.2.

The stock size for a research block (5842_1) was estimated by the CPUE x seabed analogy method using an appropriate reference area (Ross Sea) for the CPUE method recommended at the last WG-FSA meeting.

As we proposed at the WG-FSA meeting last year, since we have yet to obtain enough evidence to estimate plausible stock size, and accordingly have yet to estimate appropriate catch limit, we propose to continue the current research operation for at least 3 years with the same sample size as decided at the last CCAMLR meeting in the current research block, in order to promote successful stock assessment. On the other hand, we preliminarily estimated a sample size for 2014/15 using the CPUE analogy method for block 5842_1. The result of calculation was consistent with the current sample size.

In addition, we propose to allow flexibility in cases of research operations under extraordinary adverse ice-conditions, as detailed in our simultaneously submitted report on research plan in Subarea 48.6 (CCAMLR MEMBER_Japan, 2014).