Towards an ecological risk assessment of krill fishing in East Antarctica (CCAMLR Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2)

With the recommencement of commercial krill (Euphausia superba) fishing in CCAMLR Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2, off the coast of East Antarctica, Australia is adapting the risk assessment framework used in Area 48 to assess the risks involved in any redevelopment of a krill fishery and evaluate whether the current management procedure has a high likelihood of achieving CCAMLR’s objectives in this region. This paper describes the first steps to populating the risk assessment framework with the best available scientific data on abundance of krill predators, foraging activity and the historical distribution of krill catch and effort. We have pulled together an initial collection of existing krill predator distribution models and have produced new preliminary models for krill and various predator species. We request the Working Group review this work, prioritise data sets and further analyses, and consider a process to allow the completion of a first risk assessment for the krill fishery in this region in the near future.