MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1992 
1990-1991 season. As in past years, most of the 
catch was taken in the Atlantic sector (statistical area 
48). The decline in catch was due primarily to a 
decrease in the amount of krill taken by the fishing 
fleet from the former Soviet Union. 
During the meeting, Australia informed the Com- 
mission that it had received and was considering a 
request to allow up to four Australian fishing vessels 
to take up to 80,000 metric tons of krill in the Antarc- 
tic during the 1992-1993 fishing season. Japan, 
Chile, Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine indicated that 
they expected no increase in their krill catches during 
the 1992-1993 season. 
The Commission continued the precautionary 1.5- 
million metric ton limit on the catch of krill in statisti- 
cal area 48 and adopted a conservation measure 
specifying sub-area quotas if the total catch in sub- 
areas 48.1, 48.2, and 48.3 exceeds 620,000 metric 
tons in any fishing season. The Commission also 
adopted a precautionary catch limit of 390,000 metric 
tons of krill in statistical division 58.4.2 (the Prydz 
Bay area). 
The Scientific Committee again noted the need for 
catch data on a haul-by-haul basis to detect possible 
changes in catch-per-unit-effort and resulting changes 
in krill abundance. Japan indicated that, because of 
domestic legal restrictions, it was unable to submit 
haul-by-haul data. Japan further indicated that, in its 
view, catch-per-unit-effort would not provide a 
sensitive index of krill abundance and that synoptic 
surveys by research vessels were the only way to 
obtain reliable information on krill abundance. In 
light of this, the Commission requested that the 
Scientific Committee consider and provide advice on 
the survey effort that would be required to determine 
krill abundance in statistical area 48 and how often 
subsequent surveys would be needed to monitor krill 
abundance in the area in the continued absence of 
haul-by-haul data from the fishery. 
Crab Fishery — As noted in the Marine Mammal 
Commission’s two previous annual reports, the 
National Marine Fisheries Service issued a permit in 
1990 authorizing a Seattle-based fishing vessel to 
conduct exploratory fishing for king crabs (Paralomis 
spinosissima) and stone crabs (P. formosa) in sub- 
140 
areas 48.1, 48.2, and 48.3 during the 1990-1991 
fishing season. This action sparked a debate apd led 
the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic 
Marine Living Resources, acting on the advice of its 
Scientific Committee, at its 1991 meeting to adopt a 
conservation measure in 1991 requiring that members 
provide advance notification and information on the 
nature of the fishery and fishery resources before 
authorizing any new fisheries in the Convention Area. 
Because of logistics problems, the U.S. fisherman 
was unable to begin exploratory crab fishing in 1991. 
The problems were overcome, and two exploratory 
fishing trips were undertaken in 1992. Using data 
collected during the first trip, the Scientific Committ- 
ee’s Working Group on Fish Stock Assessment 
estimated that the crab resource in sub-area 48.3 may 
be sufficient to sustain an annual take of about 2,200 
metric tons. The data were insufficient to allow 
confidence in this estimate and the Commission 
requested that the Scientific Committee develop a 
long-term management plan for the exploratory crab 
fishery. Pending development and implementation of 
the management plan, the Commission adopted a 
conservation measure prohibiting any member from 
allowing more than one vessel to participate in the 
crab fishery and limiting the total take to 1,600 metric 
tons if vessels from more than three members partici- 
pate in the exploratory fishery. 
To assist in preparing the long-term management 
plan, the United States offered to host a workshop to 
identify data needs and determine how those needs can 
best be met. The offer was accepted, and the work- 
shop will be held at the Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center in La Jolla, California, in April 1993. 
On a related matter, the Commission noted that it 
would be desirable to develop an agreed procedure for 
regulating exploratory fisheries while collecting the 
data necessary to ensure that they do not have adverse 
impacts as defined in Article II of the Convention. 
The Commission requested that the Scientific Commit- 
tee and its working groups consider and provide 
advice on this matter in 1993. 
Assessing and Avoiding Incidental Mortality — 
Marine mammals, seabirds, and other non-target 
species may be caught incidentally during commercial 
