Monitoring of relative abundance of fjord Notothenia rossii, Gobionotothen gibberifrons and Notothenia coriiceps at Potter Cove, South Shetland Islands, in years 2000 to 2003

BARRERA-ORO ESTEBAN; MARSCHOFF ENRIQUE; CASAUX RICARDO; GONZÁLEZ BEATRIZ

Buenos Aires

Simposio; Vº Simposio Argentino y Iº Latinoamericano sobre Investigaciones Antárticas; 2004

Dirección Nacional del Antártico

MONITORING OF RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF FJORD NOTOTHENIA ROSSII,NOTOTHENIA ROSSII, GOBIONOTOTHEN GIBBERIFRONS AND NOTOTHENIA CORIICEPS AT POTTER COVE, SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS, IN YEARS 2000 TO 2003AND NOTOTHENIA CORIICEPS AT POTTER COVE, SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS, IN YEARS 2000 TO 2003 Barrera-Oro, Esteban 1, Marschoff, Enrique 1, Casaux, Ricardo and Gonzalez, Beatriz 21, Marschoff, Enrique 1, Casaux, Ricardo and Gonzalez, Beatriz 2 1 Instituto Antártico Argentino, Cerrito 1248, A1010AAZ Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto Antártico Argentino, Cerrito 1248, A1010AAZ Buenos Aires, Argentina 2 Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Keywords: Antarctic fish, Impact of commercial fishing, South Shetlands, CCAMLR.: Antarctic fish, Impact of commercial fishing, South Shetlands, CCAMLR. Palabras clave: Peces antárticos, Impacto de la pesquería comercial, Shetland del Sur, CCRVMAPeces antárticos, Impacto de la pesquería comercial, Shetland del Sur, CCRVMA ABSTRACT At inshore sites of the South Shetland Islands, the decline in trammel net catches of fjord fishes of the species Notothenia rossii and Gobionotothen gibberifrons in relation to the non commercially fished Notothenia coriiceps, which was already reported for the period 1983-1999, is still evident. At Potter Cove, higher catches of N. rossii were obtained from 1991 to 2000, but the actual levels of relative abundance of this species and of G. gibberifrons are well below those found in the early 1980s. At Harmony Cove, the relative abundance of N. rossii showed an increase in years 2002-2003, whereas G. gibberifronsNotothenia rossii and Gobionotothen gibberifrons in relation to the non commercially fished Notothenia coriiceps, which was already reported for the period 1983-1999, is still evident. At Potter Cove, higher catches of N. rossii were obtained from 1991 to 2000, but the actual levels of relative abundance of this species and of G. gibberifrons are well below those found in the early 1980s. At Harmony Cove, the relative abundance of N. rossii showed an increase in years 2002-2003, whereas G. gibberifronsNotothenia coriiceps, which was already reported for the period 1983-1999, is still evident. At Potter Cove, higher catches of N. rossii were obtained from 1991 to 2000, but the actual levels of relative abundance of this species and of G. gibberifrons are well below those found in the early 1980s. At Harmony Cove, the relative abundance of N. rossii showed an increase in years 2002-2003, whereas G. gibberifronsN. rossii were obtained from 1991 to 2000, but the actual levels of relative abundance of this species and of G. gibberifrons are well below those found in the early 1980s. At Harmony Cove, the relative abundance of N. rossii showed an increase in years 2002-2003, whereas G. gibberifronsG. gibberifrons are well below those found in the early 1980s. At Harmony Cove, the relative abundance of N. rossii showed an increase in years 2002-2003, whereas G. gibberifronsare well below those found in the early 1980s. At Harmony Cove, the relative abundance of N. rossii showed an increase in years 2002-2003, whereas G. gibberifronsN. rossii showed an increase in years 2002-2003, whereas G. gibberifrons was absent in the catches. No recovery of the stocks of these two fish species was still observed, more than two decades after the end of the commercial fishery. However, the increase observed in the catches of N. rossii in some years since 1997 might be indicative of events of higher recruitment, not yet confirmed by the offshore scientific surveys carried out in the region.N. rossii in some years since 1997 might be indicative of events of higher recruitment, not yet confirmed by the offshore scientific surveys carried out in the region.