Although increasing, it is unlikely that krill catches 

 have had or are having any adverse effects on krill stocks or 

 krill predators, except possibly in local areas. Much of the 

 catch has been from the South Georgia Island and South Orkney 

 Island areas and it is possible that krill fishing has 

 reduced krill abundance in the vicinity of these islands, at 

 least during the fishing season, making it more difficult for 

 krill-eating birds and seals breeding on the islands to find 

 food. Recognizing the importance of resolving these uncer- 

 tainties the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Scientific 

 Committee has initiated or recommended a range of theoretical 

 studies, field experiments, and monitoring programs to deter- 

 mine how best to assess and monitor krill stocks and to 

 detect the possible effects of fishing on both krill stocks 

 and krill predators . ■'■ 



Seals, whales, birds, and other non-target species may 

 be affected directly, as well as indirectly, by krill and 

 other fisheries. That is, they may be caught and killed 

 incidentally during fishing operations or be caught and 

 killed in lost and discarded fishing gear. The Antarctic 

 Marine Living Resources Commission has recognized this 

 potential and has adopted a number of measures to try to 

 insure that accidental and incidental mortality of marine 

 living resources does not become a problem in the Convention 

 Area. In response to proposals made by the United States 

 delegation, the Commission adopted additional measures during 

 its September 1986 meeting. These included agreement that 

 those members that had not already done so would consider and 

 take steps necessary to ratify and implement Optional Annex V 

 of the 1978 Protocol Relating to the International Convention 

 for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and ratify and 

 implement the Convention for the Prevention of Marine 

 Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter. Commission 

 members also agreed that, when feasible, samples of any lost 

 or discarded nets, net fragments, strapping bands, or other 

 potentially hazardous marine debris found incidentally by 

 their nationals in the Convention Area should be collected 

 and provided to the Secretariat for archiving along with 

 information on when, where, and how much debris was found, 

 the condition of the debris when found, the species, number, 

 and condition of any fish, birds, marine mammals, or other 

 organisms entangled in the debris when found, and what was 



1 Actions taken by the Commission and the Scientific 

 Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living 

 Resources are described in the annual meeting reports of the 

 Commission and Scientific Committee. These and other reports 

 can be obtained from: The Executive Secretary, Commission 

 for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 

 25 Old Wharf, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia. 



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