Sylvia Earle calls for an end to Antarctic krill fishing as governments debate a bigger catch
The AP story lays out both sides: Earle's case against krill fishing and the industry's case for a larger, more spread-out catch.
What happened: Oceanographer Sylvia Earle, 91, called for ending krill fishing near Antarctica as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) met in Australia, the AP reported. Officials from the US, China, Russia and 24 other governments are weighing an industry-backed plan to expand krill fishing. The fishery shut early in August for the second year in a row after trawlers, mostly from Norway and China, hit the 620,000-tonne limit.
Why it matters: Krill feed whales, seals, penguins, fish and birds. Most of the catch becomes farmed-fish feed and omega-3 capsules. CCAMLR's own scientific committee and environmental groups want any increase paired with a large marine protected area near the Antarctic Peninsula, first proposed by Argentina and Chile a decade ago.
How much agreement is there? Highly contested. Earle says "there is no sustainable extraction of krill in Antarctica possible." Aker BioMarine's CEO says independent science, including a UN FAO assessment, backs the fishery, and supports a protected area along with a higher quota spread over a wider area. Talks on the protected area have been deadlocked for years.
Could someone help? Shoppers can check where omega-3 supplements come from, and ocean groups follow CCAMLR's decisions closely.
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Antarctic krill
After exploring Famed oceanographer calls for ending krill catch near Antarctica as governments debate fishing quota, the animal at the center of the fight is profiled in Antarctic krill.
Antarctic krill are small crustaceans that live in huge swarms in the Southern Ocean and feed on phytoplankton.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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Krill fisheries and sustainability | CCAMLR
After exploring Famed oceanographer calls for ending krill catch near Antarctica as governments debate fishing quota, the regulator's side of the argument is in Krill fisheries and sustainability | CCAMLR.
The commission's own explainer puts Southern Ocean krill biomass at around 379 million tonnes and describes how it manages the fishery.
CCAMLR · Wade · 5 min
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