UPDATE ON INTERSESSIONAL WORK BY THE SUBGROUP ON STATUS AND TRENDS ASSESSMENT OF PREDATOR POPULATIONS (WG-EMM-STAPP)

This paper summarises inter-sessional work by WG-EMM-STAPP between 2009 and 2011 aimed at estimating krill consumption by pack ice seals, fur seals, penguins and flying seabirds in small scale management units (SSMUs) in Area 48 and in other CCAMLR Areas, and outlines a plausible timeframe for remaining tasks. Substantial progress has been made in estimating predator population sizes, reviewing diet and developing energetics models. The major task now requiring attention for estimation of krill consumption for SSMUs is the development of foraging distribution models for fur seals and penguins, and at-sea abundance distribution models for flying seabirds, to partition at-sea consumption by the estimated populations into SSMUs.