The development of fisheries and stock assessment of resources in the Southern Ocean

The pattern of development in Antarctic fisheries in the light of FAO statistics (data series starting with the 1969/70 season) is discussed. Total catches have fluctuated greatly, initially mainly in fish (Notothenia and Chaenocephalus ), but with rapid increases in krill since 1978, total catches being over half a million t in the 1979/89 season. For recent years complete data are available on catches by species and subarea, but the more detailed data required for stock assessment are not available for some of the biggest fishing countries so reliable assessments of the stocks cannot be made. Historical patterns suggest that the large catches of fish represent the removal of accumulated stocks, and that only a relatively small annual catch can be sustained. Preliminary reports from the FIBEX (First International BIOMASS Experiment) krill surveys suggest that current catches represent only a small proportion of standing stock.