As part of its participation in the activities of CCAMLR and as part of bilateral co-operation with Namibia, Ukraine is sending a researcher from the State Fishery Agency’s Institute of Fisheries, Marine Ecology and Oceanography to spend time on Namibian fishing vessel Helena Ndume in FAO subareas 88.1 and 88.2.
This is the first time in fifteen years that a Ukrainian observer sails on a Namibian vessel to participate in the fishery for toothfish, which requires the presence of an international observer on board to submit reports to the CCAMLR secretariat, working in tandem with a national scientific observer.
Observers obtain bio samples from catches, record data on catches of both target species and by-catches, and tag fish as part of efforts to monitor population movements and assess the size to age makeup of the stock.
Fishing in the 2032/24 season takes place under challenging weather conditions and the difficult ice situation that has developed in the Ross Sea, which can often prevent vessels from fishing. The longline fishery for toothfish takes place in depths of 800-1500 metres.
