CCAMLR Antarctic Fishery Statistical Area Boundaries

CCAMLR Statistical area boundaries define reporting zones for fishery statistics in the Southern Ocean. The dataset covers three major FAO statistical areas (48, 58, 88) which are further subdivided into subareas and divisions. The CCAMLR Secretariat created this subset, which was last updated in 2013.

Use Cases

• Mapping fishery catch reports to specific CCAMLR statistical areas and subareas for quota monitoring.
• Aggregating biological survey data by the defined FAO Area 48, 58, or 88 for regional analysis.
• Creating base maps for visualizing the spatial distribution of fishing activity in the Southern Ocean.
• Joining catch statistics from other datasets using the standardized area, subarea, and division codes.

Strengths

• Boundaries are defined by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), an international treaty organization.
• Aligns with the global FAO register of statistical areas, ensuring interoperability with other fishery datasets.
• Covers the entire CCAMLR Convention Area in the Southern Ocean, divided into three major areas.

Limitations

• Data is from 2013 and may not reflect the most recent boundary definitions or subdivisions.
• The description specifies 'lowest resolution with coastline', indicating potential lack of detail for fine-scale analysis.
• No information is provided on the number of polygons, coordinate reference system, or specific file attributes.

Provenance

Source

CCAMLR Secretariat, via the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) and NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Derived from the global FAO statistical area framework for application in the CCAMLR Convention Area.

Time Range

Reference year is 2013.

Freshness

Last updated in 2013.

Geography

Southern Ocean, specifically the CCAMLR Convention Area encompassing FAO statistical areas 48, 58, and 88.