The findings of a new paper published in Fisheries Management and Ecology are that the Antarctic krill fishery is the cleanest in the world in terms of its exceptionally low rate of by-catch.
Observers collected recorded by-catch data from the Antarctic krill fishery in the Southern Ocean during the 2010–2020 fishing seasons. They found that the total catch of Antarctic krill increased from 200,000 tonnes to 450,000 tonnes, with the greatest increase over the last three years.
sFollowing an international methods used to analyse such data, the observers found that the by-catch ratio (0.1–0.3%) was stable and well below other fishery by-catch levels.
‘This new data is very positive and demonstrates how krill fisheries can operate sustainably by ensuring a healthy population of target as well as non-target species in its fishing area,’ said Pål Einar Skogrand, VP Policy and Impact at Norwegian krill fishing company Aker BioMarine.
‘The krill fishery’s low exploitation rate of the biomass, in conjunction with these new findings on the low by-catch, proves that the krill fishery operates well within ecosystem boundaries and is becoming a real model fishery on a global level.’
The company’s own patented continuous trawling technology maintains the fishing gear in the water for extended periods, minimising the risk periods of hauling and shooting that can result in bird strikes. The trawl is also rigged with a mammal exclusion device and monitored by acoustic sensors to ensure marine mammals do not enter the gear.
‘Our Eco-Harvesting technology helps us harvest krill in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way,’ said SVP Vessel Operations Frank Grebstad.
‘The mammal exclusion device within our Eco-harvesting technology has most definitely played a role in the low by-catch numbers. Our operating model on fishing grounds allows us to fish high-density krill aggregations, which is key to our strong by-catch record. If we were to chase the lower density krill swarms in Antarctica there would certainly be more by-catch of other species in the mix and the krill fishery would not be such a clean fishery.’
‘Antarctic krill is, and will remain, a novel part of the solution for our future food systems,’ Einar Skogrand added.
‘We already knew that the krill fishery is one of the best performing fisheries in the world in terms of ecosystem management, and this recent research indicates that it is also second to none in terms of how it actually operates and secures clean catches and low impact on the surrounding ecosystems.’
