Pew has asked the world’s governing body for conserving Antarctic marine life to geographically spread out krill catches in the Southern Ocean. This would prevent the concentration of the fishery from significantly reducing the amount of krill available for key predators including whales, penguins and seals.
It is true that the greatest demand today for Antarctic krill comes from the fish farming industry which uses krill for feed. Commercial fishing boats also catch and process krill, high in beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids, for dietary supplements. For the preservation of krill the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was created 28 years ago but no effective management system took place till date.
In its letter Pew asked CCAMLR to develop a coordinated research plan to better manage the Southern Ocean krill fishery and mandate that international scientific observers be stationed on every krill fishing vessel. Michael Hirshfield, chief scientist, Oceana, said that this past July, the U.S. made a bold and precautionary decision to ban all krill fishing in U.S. Pacific waters.
He told that CCAMLR delegates should adopt a similar attitude and ensure that there will always be enough Antarctic krill for its predators. Ricardo Burgo Braga, member of the Antarctic Krill Conservation Project, opined that those that have been to Antarctica know how strong and yet how fragile life can be.
