Marine Life - 20 Years of CCAMLR

Issue Date: 22 October 2001











The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), now in its 20th year, regulates fishing activity around South Georgia. Internationally adopted measures not only regulate fishing; CCAMLR has a mandate to conserve the actual ecosystem.

Vessels registered in the UK, Chile, Uruguay, Spain and South Africa are licensed to fish the rich waters of South Georgia's Maritime Zone.

Research into the biology and ecology of resource and by-catch species is being carried out at a new fisheries research station at King Edward Point, South Georgia. The new Applied Fisheries Laboratory, manned by scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, under contract to the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, was opened on 22 March 2001 by the Commissioner His Excellency Donald Lamont. A full account of the new station can be found on the British Antarctic Survey website at www.antarctica.ac.uk

33p - Icefish, Champsocephalus gunnari
Icefish are characterised by having no haemogoblin in their blood. They absorb oxygen by simple diffusion from the water and carry it around their bodies in physical solution in the blood plasma. Such an adaption is possible because of the continuous low temperature, close to freezing point of seawater of their environment combined with a generally hight oxygen saturation in the water.

Field research sampling the spawning adult population and larval distribution and abundance of the Mackerel icefish is to take place in the bays around King Edward Point using the station's workboat. Fish Surverys using other vessels operating around South Georgia are undertaken to assess the standing stock of icefish and juvenile toothfish. Icefish are taken by trawlers during the austral summer.

37p - Spiney Back Crab, Paralomis spinosissima
There are two species of crab on South Georgia, Lithodes and Paralomis. They can be called Stone, Kind or Snow Crabs. There are two types of Paralomis, Paralomis formosa and Paralomis spinosissima, the latter being less common. Exploratory fisheries for spiney back crabs have recently taken place within the South Georgia Maritime Zone. Stocks may be sufficient to support new commercial fisheries.

37p - Krill, Euphausia superba
Antarctic Krill dominate the planktonic invertebrate community in the seas around South Georgia, accounting for about half of the biomass. These small shrimp like crustaceans are up to 60cm long when fully grown and feed on abundant phytoplankton. They form the diet of many South Georgia's other marine organisms, including some squid, fish, seals, birds and some whales. They tend to be concentrated around the island's shelf and near to the shelf-slope.

The abundance of krill around South Georgia varies between years, and availability was much reduced at least in 4 of the last 20 years. This variation in krill abundance is thought to be linked to fluctuations in average annual temperature, and the dynamics of the ocean currents in the Scotia Sea.

43p - Toothfish, Dissostichus eliginoides
The Patagonian toothfish, which grows up to two metres in length and can live up to 50 years taking 10 years to reach breeding age, is found throughout the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Maritime Zone. Juvenile fish are found on the shelf of Shag Rocks and South Georgia whilst adult fish appear to be restricted to the deeper waters of the continental slope and deep ocean. The same species is found off southern South America, and around many peri-Antarctic islands. The amount of interaction between the fish population of the different regions is unknown. Initially the species was taken as a by-catch in the trawl fishery for icefish but since 1990 a significant single species fishery has developed using longlines.

Technical Details
Designer : Roger Gorringe, Illustration Ltd
Printer : BDT International Security Printing Ltd
Process : Lithography
Stamp Size : 24.8 x 38mm
Sheet Format : 50 (2 x 25)
Perforation : 14 per 2cms
Paper : CA Spiral
Release Date : 22 October 2001
Values : 33p, 37p, 37p, 43p







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