Fish by-catch in the Antarctic krill fishery

Investigating fish by-catch uncertainties to improve Antarctic krill fishery management (DPLUS166)

Start date
1 November, 2022
End date
31 March, 2025

Fish bycatch is a global problem requiring accurate information to develop conservation and management strategies.

Within the Antarctic krill fishery, fish and larval fish are regularly observed as bycatch. Improved understanding of where, when and which fish are caught is essential.

Within the fishery, fish bycatch has become an issue of such importance that there is a sense of urgency and a requirement to develop appropriate life history stage specific identification materials, underpinned by molecular techniques to enable accurate identification of bycatch species.

Developing conservation and management measures that limit bycatch of non-target species by commercial fishing operations require robust data. Current management measures primarily aim to reduce the risk to land-based predators (e.g., seals and penguins) and do not take into consideration fish bycatch.

This project aims to identify which fish species and life stages are caught using integrative taxonomy methods; assess the spatial distribution of fish bycatch to understand which, where and when each species is caught; and use this information to establish a baseline assessment for fish by-catch and produce identification and training tools for international fisheries observers.

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South Georgia Groundfish Survey 2021

Philip Hollyman

- Honorary Researcher

Ecosystems team

A person sitting on a bench

Lorena Romero Martinez

Marine Ecologist

Martin Collins profile picture

Martin Collins

Marine Ecologist and UKs CCAMLR Scientific Rep

BAS Science Strategy Executive Group, Ecosystems team

William Reid (Newcastle)

William Goodall-Copestake (SAMS)

Joe Chapman (MRAG)

Sue Gregory (GSGSSI)