Industry reaffirms spatial protections as fishing resumes at South Orkneys

Abundant sea ice marked the opening of the 2025/2026 fishing season at the South Orkney Islands, but fishery resumes.

While conditions remain challenging, they are less restrictive than last year, when extensive sea ice prevented any fishing in the same area. Early operations point to a stable start, with vessels proceeding carefully through mixed ice fields.

The season begins on the back of constructive progress underway as CCAMLR advances toward a revised management strategy for the krill fishery. While agreement has not yet been reached, CCAMLR delegates advanced the technical discussions needed for future implementation. ARK supports this process and remains committed to contributing constructively to the development of a new management strategy through operational input and data collection on krill biomass and predators.

ARK members will for the 2025/26 season continue to distribute catches across Subareas by following established operational patterns as well as applying voluntary spatial protections.  While waiting for CCAMLR to adopt binding measures on spatial allocation of revised quota and, ARK members have agreed to:

·          Start the season in Subarea 48.2 before moving to Subarea 48.1.

·         Apply the ARK Voluntary Restricted Zones around major penguin colonies in Subarea 48.1.

·         Collect acoustic krill biomass data in the area where they operate

 ARK will continue operating throughout the season while actively sharing information and findings with the relevant CCAMLR scientific bodies

Sea ice conditions off the South Orkney Islands at the start of the 2025/2026 fishing season. Loose pack ice was present across the area, yet conditions permitted vessels to begin early operations.