Method description of Trial #2; examining bird interactions with monitoring cables on krill trawlers using continuous trawling methods, during the 2020/21 fishing season

CCAMLR Conservation Measure 25-03 prohibits the use of net monitoring cables within the Convention Area. Chinese and Norwegian krill trawlers have been granted an exemption from this CM for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 fishing seasons in order to map interactions between seabirds and the net monitoring cables that are rigged on vessels using the continuous pumping method. These trials will also help to evaluate whether further measures are appropriate and if current methods for routine observations performed by dedicated SISO observers on board can be improved. This paper presents the method used in the fishing season 2020-21. The final method design has been developed through previous discussions in WG-FSA, SC, through a dedicated e-group facilitated by CCAMLR and through discussion meetings on Teams from November 2020 to April 2021.