The window is open for anyone looking to start new fisheries in Antarctic waters.

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority is seeking expressions of interest from Australian that want to apply for new and exploratory fisheries.

The applications will be considered at the 2015 Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting.

The government bodies say anyone interested in starting up new fishing projects must submit a written expression of interest to AFMA.

Expressions of interest should be one page or less and include information on the:

  • area(s) of the proposed fishery
  • species to be targeted
  • proposed fishing method(s)
  • details of the interested parties

AFMA will provide feedback on the likely level of support for any proposals.

Proposals from nations seeking access to new and exploratory fisheries in the CCAMLR region will also be considered by at the CCAMLR annual meeting in October-November.

The only fishing vessels allowed in the Antarctic regions are those that have a proposal lodged with and approved by CCAMLR.

The Australian Government has provided extra information on expression of interest applications, as well as a guide to CCAMLR fisheries.

Expressions of interest are to be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm 20 February 2015.