The Scientific Committee’s Subgroup on Acoustics, Survey and Analysis Methods (SG-ASAM) is evaluating potential contributions by krill fishing vessels in collecting acoustic data to provide information on the distribution and abundance of Antarctic krill and other pelagic species such as myctophiids and salps (SC-CAMLR-XXX, paragraph 2.10). In 2012, the Scientific Committee agreed to a 'proof of concept' program to work through the issues that will need to be resolved when implementing surveys from fishing vessels using different acoustic equipment.

The proof of concept program is being implemented in the krill fishery in 2013 and participating vessels are requested to collect and submit trial digital acoustic data to the Secretariat. These data will be evaluated for they potential use in providing information on distribution and abundance of krill. The program will be conducted in two stages:

Stage 1 is being implemented in 2013 to evaluate the current setup of sonar equipment on participating vessels. The information collected will be used to develop instrument-specific instructions for Stage 2.

Stage 2 will consist of acoustic data collected during a range of vessel activities, speeds and weather conditions to assess more fully the quality and utility of acoustic data from commercial fishing vessels.   

For Stage 1, participating vessels are requested to collect trial position- and time-referenced acoustic data as follows:

• Collect and submit a small set of position- and time-referenced data for initial testing. It is recommended that these data be recorded over an interval of 1 to 2 minutes
• Complete the attached form on essential metadata requirements for the initial proof of concept data collection
• Submit the data file(s) and completed form to the Secretariat via email (data [at] ccamlr [dot] org)

The program's Steering Group will use this initial small data set to determine any issues with data formats and recording, and will provide further guidance on a case by case as necessary.