Antarctic Toothfish Fishery in the Ross Sea
There are two main species of toothfish in the Southern Ocean.
- Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides). The Patagonian toothfish lives in a predominantly subantarctic environment and is not generally found south of 65°S in the Ross Sea sector of the Southern Ocean.
- Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni). Antarctic toothfish is a large, relatively long-lived fish (30 y). A substantial fishery for Antarctic toothfish occurs in the Ross Sea sector of the Antarctic.
Approximate distributions of Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean, also showing the CCAMLR management areas.
New Zealand were the first country to fish for Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea in 1997. Since then, many other countries have started to target this species.
In the figure below, the coloured squares show the mean length (cm) of Antarctic toothfish in the fishery catch.
The coloured squares show the mean length (cm) of Antarctic toothfish in the fishery catch. The Ross Sea area is divided into different areas, called Small Scale Research Units (SSRU), for the purposes of managing fishing and these are also shown.
NIWA is actively engaged in providing scientific advice to help in managing Antarctic fisheries. This includes research on Antarctic toothfish itself, and working to develop an understanding of the potential effects of the fishery on other parts of the Ross Sea ecosystem.