The direct impact of fishing and fishery-related activities on marine life in the CCAMLR Convention Area with particular emphasis on longline fishing and its impact on albatrosses and petrels – a review

Finfishing started in the Southern Ocean more than 30 years ago at South Georgia and Iles Kerguelen. The fishery extended further south for a few years in the second half of the 1970's. However, South Georgia and the Kerguelen Islands remained the most important fishing grounds until 1996/97 when the longline fisheries for Dissostichus eleginoides spread over most of the Southern Ocean within one season. A number of direct effects from fishing activities can be seen on marine life, in particular birds and mammals. With the exception of plastic package bands on some sub-Antarctic islands and in particular the impact of longlining on marine birds these effects have been minor, very local and killed probably only a few animals per year.