Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) swarm. Image credit: Canva.com

Antarctic Krill Fishery Shuts Down Early as Record Catch Sparks Overfishing Alarms

ANTARCTICA
Friday, August 08, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has closed the krill fishing season five months ahead of schedule for the first time in history, as the fleet reached the seasonal catch limit.

The unprecedented closure follows a failure by member states to renew critical conservation measures, allowing fishing to concentrate in sensitive areas vital for predators.

Photo: Aker Biomarine

Record Catch Follows Lapsed Protections

The volume of krill caught off Antarctica surged this year to a record-breaking 518,568 tonnes within the first seven months of the 2024-25 season. This figure is more than 60% higher than the previous season's total catch of 498,350 tonnes. The unprecedented take was made possible after CCAMLR members, including key fishing nations like Norway and China, failed to reach a consensus on a new management plan at a pivotal meeting in October 2024.

The impasse led to the expiration of a 15-year-old conservation measure (CM 51-07) that previously limited how much krill could be caught in any one geographic sub-area. With this restriction lifted, the fleet, consisting of about a dozen industrial trawlers, was able to concentrate its efforts in highly productive areas, such as Sub-Area 48.1 near the Antarctic Peninsula. These same areas are also the preferred foraging grounds for krill-dependent predators.

"The entire permitted catch was taken in a highly concentrated area, leaving the Southern Ocean's most iconic predators with far less to feed on," said Dr. Johnny Briggs, director of the Pew Bartarelli Ocean Legacy. "If CCAMLR hopes to retain credibility at this year's meeting, its members must restore precautionary, ecosystem-based krill management."

Krill: The Heart of the Antarctic Ecosystem

Krill are at the base of the Antarctic food chain, providing a crucial food source for a vast array of marine life, including whales, seals, penguins, and seabirds. Environmental groups warn that the commercial fishing of krill puts human consumers in direct competition with these animals for food.

"Scientific research has previously shown that krill predators are negatively affected by fishing at an even lower level of catch than was seen this year," stated the NGO Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC).

Beyond its role as a food source, krill also plays a significant part in mitigating climate change through the "biological carbon pump." By consuming phytoplankton, krill help trap carbon in their bodies, which is then transported to the deep ocean when their waste sinks, effectively removing carbon from the atmosphere.

Data was compiled from various sources. (Graphic: Manuel Bortoletti / China Dialogue Ocean)

Industry and Conservation Clash

The soaring demand for krill is driven by its use in a variety of products. Krill is a key ingredient in fishmeal for aquaculture (Atlantic salmon and tilapia), and it is also processed into krill oil for human dietary supplements and pet food. The Norwegian company Aker BioMarine, which accounts for a significant portion of the global catch, and China are the main players in the fishery.

The krill fishing industry maintains that its operations are sustainable, pointing to the vast overall krill biomass and arguing that the catch limit of 620,000 tonnes represents a small fraction of the total population. Javier Arata, executive director of the Association of Responsible Krill Harvesting Companies (ARK), whose members are responsible for 95% of the catch, said that the failure to advance management was "political, not scientific." He also noted that the industry enforces its own voluntary no-take zones to protect penguin colonies during breeding season.

However, conservation groups like Sea Shepherd and WWF-Australia argue that focusing on the total biomass is misleading, as the concentration of fishing in small areas causes localized depletion, putting predators at immediate risk.

The failure to reach a consensus on new protections at the CCAMLR meeting in October 2024 has left the future of Antarctic krill management in limbo, raising serious concerns for the delicate marine ecosystem.

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