An ecosystem out of balance: slow recovery of previously depleted demersal fish at the South Shetland Islands, 1983-2010

ALESCIO, N. S.; MARSCHOFF, E,.R.; BARRERA ORO, E. R.; MOREIRA, E.; AINLEY, D

Portland

Conferencia; XXXII SCAR 5th Open Science Conference.; 2012

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)

Abstract. Commercial fishing of finfish in the Antarctic began in the 1960s just as decades of sealing and whaling were ending. Around the South Shetland Islands, where our study was focused, heavy fishing was reported mainly from its northern-most island, Elephant Island, during 1977-1980. N. rossii and Champsocephalus gunnari were the target species, but also the humped rockcod Gobionotothen gibberifrons was taken in significant quantities as by-catch along with several other species. Antarctic fish have certain specific biological characteristics such as slow growth rate and low fecundity which make them particularly susceptible to overexploitation. We report changes in size and abundance of the commercially exploited Notothenia rossii and Gobionotothen gibberifrons relative to the ecologically similar but unexploited N. coriiceps at Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands, over a 28-yr period, 1983-2010.