Fishing for krill is banned in U.S. waters due to concerns it could impact whales, seals and other animals that feed on the shrimp-like creatures.
‘I never thought, never doubted that I was going to get better’: Light the Night hero excited to inspire othersThis photo provided by the British Antarctic Survey in October 2023 shows an Antarctic krill . While krill fishing is banned in U.S. waters due to concerns it could impact whales, seals and other animals that feed on the shrimp-like creatures, its been taking place for decades in Antarctica, where krill are most abundant.
“What’s coming out of the side are the remnants of the ecosystem,” says Alistair Allan, an activist for Australia’s, as he looks on from the inflatable boat. “If this was off the coast of Alaska, it would be a national park. But since it’s down here at the bottom of the world, where no one is watching, you have ships almost running into whales feeding on the same things they’re fishing.”
A U.S.-led coalition has been calling for more restrictions and marine reserves as krill’s vital role as food for other species and in removing large amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere comes into focus. But it has met stiff opposition from China and Russia, which have made no secret of their geopolitical ambitions in the white continent.
“All those iconic images we associate with Antarctica of whales, seals and penguins -- it’s a megafauna hotspot, and it’s because of krill,” Steinberg said. The organization, established by treaty in 1982, has emerged as a model for science-based cooperation on the high seas — lawless waters that comprise nearly half the planet.
But with quotas likely to increase under any new management system some see a silver lining in the deadlock. Johansen said fears of an explosion in fishing are misplaced as the industry isn’t even catching all that’s allowed. He sees consolidation, not growth, in the industry because of the huge investments required.
Fish farming is big business — about half of the world’s seafood is now farm raised as the oceans have been emptied of wild-caught fish. “Krill is packed with important nutrients so that we can stay healthy, live long and contribute to society,” said Johansen.“Krill is fine. Fish oil is fine,” he said. In addition, he said many common foods, like eggs or mushrooms, are loaded in choline in orders of magnitude more than krill pills.
However, a leading marine biologist the industry once relied on to burnish its environmental credentials has since denounced krill fishing. When the AP pointed out this discrepancy to Johansen, he said that the claim appeared to be a mistake and the company would look into fixing its promotional material. “The key message that we’re trying to convey, and maybe it’s oversimplified in that picture of a bucket, is the bycatch in the krill fishery is extremely low,” he said.Following these incidents — the first whale deaths reported by a Norwegian krill ship — Aker BioMarine reinforced a rope barrier to repel large mammals.
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