By J. Brock (FINN)
The new Toothfish season is beginning around the remote South Atlantic Island of South Georgia and already there are vessels braving the stormy late autumn/winter waters in order to long-line for the resource. On Wednesday, 30 April 2003, some of those vessels experienced the fury of South Georgia’s weather, with one vessel that ran aground, reported to be taking on water. Accidents can happen to the most seaworthy vessels but not all Long-liners pass required pre-licensing inspections. The criteria are stiff and there is competition for the few licences offered.
SARTMA: The New Zealand registered Long-liner, San Aotea passed inspection and is now on her way to the fishing grounds in South Georgia. What were the inspectors looking for during the pre-licensing inspection? For example, were they looking for compliance with regulations about preventing the mortality of seabirds at sea?
RJ: The San Aotea II was indeed underwent an inspection in Stanley prior to her departure for South Georgia waters and King Edward Point where she will undergo a pre-licensing inspection before a licence is finally issued. The main thrust of the inspection in Stanley was to ensure that the vessel was compliant with CCAMLR Conservation Measure 29/XIX which is specifically aimed at minimising the incidental mortality of sea birds in the course of long-line fishing or long-line fishing research.
SARTMA: In which CCAMLR area will the San Aotea be long-lining and what is the TAC for Toothfish in the area for this season?
RJ: The GSGSSI has licensed the San Aotea II to long-line for Toothfish in South Georgia waters which comprises most of CCAMLR sub-area 48.3. The TAC set by CCAMLR for the 2002/2003 season is 7810 tonnes.
SARTMA: Presumably the Long-liner was fitted with a transponder. We all know how important the tracking of Toothfish is to verifying whether the stock was caught in a recognised fishery by a licensed vessel. However, satellite tracking is only a fraction of the equation for successful fisheries protection. What part will fisheries patrol vessels play in the protection of Toothfish stocks in CCAMLR areas 48.2, 48.3 and 48.4?
RJ: It is a GSGSSI licence condition that each vessel licensed to fish in our waters ( i.e. most of Sub-area 48.3) is fitted with an operational VMS (Vessel Monitoring System). This enables the vessel's position to be independently monitored. This is not necessarily a fisheries protection device, the GSGSSI's main protection resource is the FPV that we sub-charter from the Falkland Islands Government. Another protection device is the satellite surveillance that we have in place to identify what vessels are in our waters and thus we are able to target possible illegal fishing vessels more effectively. A third element in our campaign to stamp out any illegal fishing is our licensed fleet. They will report any unknown vessels to the GSGSSI for us to investigate.
SARTMA: It is understood that Patagonian Toothfish is the targeted species. Does the policy include marketing? Once properly certified, how will the product compete against poached Toothfish and why?
RJ: Long-liners in South Georgia waters do target the Patagonian Toothfish. The GSGSSI is not involved in marketing Toothfish, this rests with the companies who fish in our waters. But, with CCAMLR, we are working to ensure that only legally caught fish reach the market place. The Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) is a scheme whereby all legitimate vessels must declare their catch and have it verified by their national authority. As more countries are insisting that only catches backed by the CDS scheme will be allowed into their countries the opportunity for illegal catches becomes less and less.
There should be plenty of legally caught Toothfish on the market. It makes sense to track its origins in this way because the survival of the species depends on its wise management. The South Georgia fishery is one of the best-managed fisheries in the world and that management means that a valuable resource can continue to be marketed.
