Krill Oil - Ecological Concerns

Ecological Concerns

The harvesting of Antarctic krill is relatively new. The vast majority is harvested for feed for fish farms. A small percentage (2 percent in the 2009-2010 season) is harvested for human consumption.

Krill is considered by many scientists to be the largest biomass in the world. Antarctic krill is fundamental to the survival of almost every species of animal that lives in the Antarctic or sub-Antarctic waters and island groups. Because Antarctic krill are so important, in 1982, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, European Community, Germany and Japan formed a treaty organization to ensure that krill were being harvested sustainably. Named the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR-pronounced camel-lahr), it now manages the fin fish (mostly toothfish) and krill fisheries in the Southern Ocean. Scientists from some of the CCAMLR member nations, including Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, conduct research in the Southern Ocean and make recommendations to CCAMLR that enable the organization to make management decisions. Currently there are 25 Members of CCAMLR, 24 member states and the European Community.

CCAMLR has successfully implemented a precautionary and ecosystem approach in managing the krill fishery. The krill fishery is considered by some of those scientists to be among the best managed fisheries in the world, providing strict catch limits on licensed vessels, and scientific observers on board. CCAMLR scientists are working to take into account the possible effects of climate change on the ecosystem as well as effects of changes in technology and operational pattern of krill fishing vessels on the fishery when making management decisions.