s surface, is defined in the CCAMLR convention as the area south of the Antarctic Convergence – the constantly shifting, natural oceanographic “boundary” feature where cold, northwards-flowing Antarctic waters meet the relatively warmer waters of the Subantarctic. The convention also applies in the area south of 60°S, to which the 1959 Antarctic Treaty applies.
The status and management of the fisheries are reviewed annually by the convention’s Scientific Committee and its specialist working groups, using the best available science and information that includes detailed data from the fisheries and fishery surveys, and the CCAMLR Scheme of International Scientific Observation.
There are established krill fishing areas in zones all around Antarctica, but at present there is fishing only in five zones between about 20°W and 80°W. The total allowable catch for this area is 620 000 tons. There is also a major exploratory krill fishing zone between 20°W and 30°E – directly in line with South Africa’s area of interest in Antarctica – but no legal fishing is being done here at present. - Sunday Argus