Antarctic Krill Conservation Project

ASOC is a key partner in the Antarctic Krill Conservation Project, whose goal is to protect the base of the Antarctic marine ecosystem – krill. Most marine species in the Southern Ocean – including whales, seals, penguins, albatrosses, petrels, squid and many others – feed on this small shrimp-like organism.  While the krill fishery has historically grown slowly, new technologies now allow catches to be processed more quickly, stimulating more interest in krill fishing from industry.  The potential market for krill products is also growing.  Krill are not often used for human food, but are used to make feed for farmed fish, nutritional supplements, and other products.  The demand for these products continues to increase, and ASOC firmly believes that the Antarctic krill fishing industry must be strictly supervised by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to ensure that the Antarctic marine ecosystem remains healthy. 

The Antarctic Krill Conservation Project (AKCP) website provides many important documents, photos and other information about the campaign. Click HERE to read our Core Elements of an Ecosystem-Based Management Package for Antarctic Krill.

During the past few years ASOC has written several Information Papers on krill and the policy issues underlying its fate. We will produce new papers for each meeting of CCAMLR. Here are our Information Papers on Krill presented at the past three CCAMLR meetings:

A Time for Action on the Management of Antarctic Krill Fisheries,  October 2008

The Need for a Strategic Plan for the Management of the Antarctic Krill Fishery , October 2007 

Ecosystem Management of Antarctic Krill in the South Atlantic: Uncertainties and Priorities, October 2006.

Improving Monitoring and Control of the Krill Fishery, October 2006.

Ecosystem Management of the Antarctic Krill Fishery, October 2005.

Krill Industry Report The Krill Industry Report provides information and commentaries on the Antarctic krill industry.  Latest issue:  February 2010 Past issues: February 2010 October 2009 February 2009 October 2008 May 2008 April 2008 February 2008 December 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 June 2007

Humpback whales are just one of the many species dependent on krill.   In this video from the BBC, you can see magnificent humpbacks who have gathered to take advantage of the large swarms of krill that appear in the summer.

Latest Krill News: Save the Krill, Save the Whales  6.15.09 Statesman Journal Life on Antarctica Moved by Warming  3.13.09 San Francisco Chronicle KRILL DECLINE: Disease could account for Antarctic “keystone” Species decline; Too little research 3.3.09  Seafood Intelligence Click here for more news!

Publications:

Global Climate Change, Antarctica and Krill

This article produced by the AKCP explains the connection between climate change and krill population size.

Ecosystem-Based Management of the Antarctic Krill Fishery To Protect Penguins and Other Krill Predators

Read about krill's central role in the Antarctic marine ecosystem and how further steps in ecosystem-based management are needed to protect penguins and other Antarctic species.

Spanish Articles:

Pequeńo, Innumerable pero Amenazado Centro de Consevación Cetácea 02/10/06

Descubren beneficios medioambientales del krill antártico La Nación, Miércoles 27 de Septiembre de 2006

Descubren que krill antártico captura importantes cantidades de carbono El Mostrador 25 de Septiembre de 2006

For more information on krill conservation, e-mail us or find your media contact by country, by language or by campaign. Click on join us if you would like to help protect this small but vital species. The AKCP is sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts. ASOC thanks Pew for its support for this important campaign.

Additional video: