Patagonian Toothfish
Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus Eleginoides) is a large both pelagic(living at or near the ocean surface) and demersal(found at or near the sea bottom) fish found in cold and temperate waters. It occurs in the southern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
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[edit] Description
Patagonian Toothfish has skin that is black and the flesh is white with no pin bones. It can reach more than 2 meters in length and weighs up to a 100 kilos. It is estimated that it can live up to 47 years and reaches spawning age after 10 years. It feeds on prawns and squids - which is abundant in the Antarctic Region.
[edit] Threats and Illegal Fishing
Overfishing, Illegal fishing and Pirate fishing has caused a rapidly disappearing of Patagonian Toothfish. Some areas has been over fished to the point of commercial extinction. It has been reported that 90% of Patagonian Toothfish catch is taken by illegal and unregulated longliner. According to CCAMLR, total catch of Patagonian Fish has declined from 100,970 metric tonnes in 1997 to just 33,360 tonnes in 2000. The substantial decline in production is due to CCAMLR's Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) method.
[edit] Conservation
The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is responsible for fisheries management in the Southern Ocean. CCAMLR has set substantial fishing quotas for legal fisheries but has been criticized of failing to deliver its purpose in protecting the Patagonian Tooshfish and other Antarctic marine species.
[edit] Catch Documentation Scheme
Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS)a method that immediately determines and tracks the landings and trade flows of Patagonian Tooshfish caught in the convention and adjacent area. The scheme also includes exploratory catch quotas, control of fishing effort and other fishing management measures.
