| Summary: | The Antarctic Toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) is an apex predator found only in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic Toothfish are commercially harvested. The industry is controversial since it involves humans interfering with a 'pristine' environment. Many environmental groups are concerned that Toothfish fishing could be detrimental to the food web structure of the Southern Ocean due to Antarctic Toothfish having an apex role within the ecosystem, being long lived, and the fact that little is known about their reproduction. The fisheries for Toothfish are managed by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The Toothfish is valuable as an economic resource for nations involved in harvesting, and also valuable from ecological, and scientific perspectives. This industry appears to contradict the environmentally friendly values of New Zealanders; on closer analysis this may not be the case. With careful management the values of the Antarctic Toothfish can be maintained for future generations. Most of the literature comes from the scientific community with little or no publications available from industry bodies on either matters of sustainability or economics.
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