H-70 



APPENDIX A 



Statistics from commercial fisheries 



As discussed in the main proposal (particularly Section 3.4.3), it is essential for the success of 

 BIOMASS, and for the rational utilization and management of the resources, that scientists 

 have available to them detailed statistics from any commercial fisheries in the Antarctic. The 

 following proposals have been made regarding the details of the statistics that should be 

 reported to FAO as soon as possible following the end of each Antarctic season: 



1 . The catches. 



The quantities should refer to nominal catches, ie the live weight of the animals as they 

 leave the water, before any processing takes place. These nominal catch data, reported in metric 

 tons, should be broken down as follows: 



(a) Time periods: These should be in calendar months. Annual summaries should be for 

 split years (1 July-30 June). 



(b) Species items: These categories should refer preferably to individual species, but in 

 some cases (for example, cephalopods) to groupings by genera or even families. 



(c) Fishing areas: The catch data reported should refer to quadrangles of 5° latitude by 5° 

 longitude; if this amount of detail cannot be provided, then the areas should refer to 

 three FAO 'Major Fishing Areas' for statistical purposes, ie FAO Areas 48, 58 and 88. 



(d) Fishing gear: The catches should be broken down by the principal fishing methods 

 used (for example, trawls, purse-seines, longlines, etc) listed in FAO's International 

 Standard Statistical Classification of Fishing Gear. 



2. Fishing effort and corresponding catches. 



For nominal catches (reflecting the details discussed in the preceding paragraph) the 

 corresponding fishing effort should also be provided for each 'kind of fishing unit'. The fishing 

 unit is determined primarily by the gear used, and secondarily by the size (CRT) of the vessel. 

 The information on fishing effort should cover 'fishing time' and 'fishing power'. 'Fishing time' 

 concepts are related to the type of gear used. For trawls, the principal effort measure is 

 'number of hours fished', for purse-seines the 'number of sets'. Standard definitions for these 

 and other effort concepts have been established by the Co-ordinating Working Party on Atlantic 

 Fishery Statistics and are under constant refinement and review by that body. 



3. Fishing fleets. 



Details should be given by national offices on all the individual units (mother ships, factory 

 vessels, fishing vessels, etc) of their fleets operating in one or more of the three FAO Antarctic 

 Fishing Areas during a specified split year, 1 July-30 June. For each of these vessels such 

 information should be provided as: (a) its nationality and name, (b) type of vessel, (c) overall 

 length, (d) gross registered tonnage, (e) horsepower, (0 type or types of fishing gear, (g) person- 

 nel, (h) hold capacity for various products, (i) special processing equipment, electronic 

 equipment, etc. 



The following documents, available from the Fishery Statistics Unit, Department of 

 Fisheries, FAO, Rome, provide detailed information on statistical standards and requirements: 



A proposed international statistical system for the Antarctic fisheries-FAO Fishing Areas 

 48, 58 and 88 (FAO Fisheries Circular No 608). 



World chart: Major fishing areas for statistical purposes (FAO Fisheries Circular No 420). 



