Conserving Antarctic krill

Antarctic krill is used in fish feed for aquaculture, fishing bait and, increasingly, omega-3 supplements for humans. 

As of 2025, Norway, the Republic of South Korea, Chile, China and Ukraine are responsible for 100% of the total krill catch in the CCAMLR region (Source).  

CCAMLR was established in 1982 in response to the growing fleet of krill vessels working in the Southern Ocean. It is an international body tasked with the conservation of Southern Ocean marine life and ecosystems. Its objective is to practise ecosystem-based management to ensure any harvesting is undertaken with reference to impacts on the ecosystem as a whole.

In consultation with its Scientific Committee, CCAMLR introduces measures, including catch limits, to manage the krill (and other) fisheries.

ASOC attends CCAMLR meetings as an observer, and presents decision makers with the best available science to support the implementation of a precautionary, evidence-based management regime for Antarctic krill fisheries.

Learn more about CCAMLR.

Area 48 includes the coastal waters of the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, South Orkney and South Sandwich Islands, and South Georgia. This region is known as one of the most biologically active areas of the Southern Ocean, and its importance as a foraging ground for krill predators such as penguins, seals, and whales. 

Area 48 also includes the Scotia Arc, Weddell Sea, parts of the southwest Atlantic Ocean and the Queen Maud Land coast. It extends north from the Antarctic coastline to a latitude of 50° South in some places.

Convention area 48 (green area) of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and its Subareas. Source. 

Managing the krill fishery 

Historically, the fishery in Area 48 was managed by two CCAMLR conservation measures (CMs), CM 51-07 and CM 51-01.

Distributing pressure from fisheries 

Conservation measure 51-07 divides Area 48 into four sub-areas, each with their own catch limit or total allowable catch: the maximum amount of krill that can be harvested each season. Allocating individual catch limits to each sub-area allows for a more nuanced, region-specific approach, taking into account factors like krill biomass and known predator foraging grounds. Distributing pressure from fisheries can also help reduce the impact on penguins, whales and other foraging predators that feed on krill in certain areas. 

In October 2024 CCAMLR failed to renew this conservation measure. This meant that krill fishing vessels were no longer required to spread their activities out across the sub-areas, but could take krill from anywhere at any time, focusing their activities wherever the most dense krill swarms were found, possibly in direct competition with krill predators. 

In the summer of 2024-25, a number of krill fishing vessels converged on the former Area 48.1, where roughly 30% of the global population of Antarctic krill is concentrated. Many focused their activity in nearshore areas of the Bransfield Strait and Gerlache Strait on the Antarctic Peninsula, areas popular with tourism vessels.  Fisheries vessels were seen harvesting krill within view of feeding whales and penguin colonies. In March 2025 the director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Service in Chile filed a criminal complaint against a fisheries vessel for the death of a humpback whale in the net of a krill super trawler. 

Between November 2024 and August 2025 the industry harvested 620,000 metric tonnes of krill, the total allowable catch for all of Area 48. The industry has reached catch limits in the past – for example the catch limit for Area 48.1 (155,000 metric tonnes, or 25% of the Area 48 catch limit) was reached 11 out of 13 times between 2010 and 2023, forcing the fishery to close before the end of the season (ASOC 2023) – but this was the first time in history the catch limit for all of Area 48 had been reached, and it triggered an unprecedented industry shutdown.

While it is not yet clear exactly where the majority of this krill was harvested, it is quite possible that fisheries activity was concentrated in the most important and vulnerable foraging areas of the southwest Atlantic, which may have unintended consequences for krill predators and the marine ecosystem more broadly.

Read more on our blog. 

Catch limits need updating

Conservation measure 51-01 sets the catch limit or total allowable catch for each Area. Catch limits are established based on the best available science, and regular monitoring is required to ensure that the ecosystem is not being negatively impacted by the Antarctic krill fishery. 

While this measure is still in place, many researchers warn that catch limits for Antarctic fisheries, including those in Area 48, need to be updated to take into account recent changes such as: 

• The southerly migration of high density krill populations.
• The unknown impacts of warmer oceans, ocean acidification, and reduced seasonal sea ice on krill. 
• Increased demand for krill from predators, in particular whale populations recovering from decades of commercial exploitation.
• The effects of a growing krill fishery. 

Gathering data to adequately inform a review of catch limits is challenging and expensive due to the scale and remoteness of the Southern Ocean. However, it is critical that the scientific community and CCAMLR make every possible effort to determine a precautionary catch limit that will ensure the conservation of krill, their predators, and Antarctic marine ecosystems as they face the combined threats of climate heating and increasing human activity. 

CCAMLR officially acknowledges the complex challenges facing Antarctic krill populations, and many Parties are making efforts to address known threats. However tension between Parties involved in commercial fisheries and those with a focus on conservation concerns have proved insurmountable in recent years, with fisheries nations blocking much-needed protections. ASOC continues to urge CCAMLR to: 

• Complete their scientific work program.
• Develop a finer-grained, small-scale management regime that takes into consideration localized relationships between krill, fisheries, krill predators, and the environment. 
• Introduce comprehensive scientific monitoring. 
• Address the problem of bycatch. 
• Meet their commitment to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management System

ASOC actively supports the development of a scientifically grounded ecosystem-based management plan for the krill fishery that provides the necessary protection for predators like penguins, seals, and whales. 

Predator protection can be improved by setting precautionary catch limits at small space and time scales, which take into account the foraging areas of krill predators, and match the scale of fishing operations. 

In 2019, CCAMLR agreed to complete a scientific work plan for Area 48 made up of krill biomass estimates, stock assessment models, and spatial overlap analyses, which would provide the scientific underpinning for such a new fishery management system.  

ASOC urges CCAMLR to complete the scientific work plan for all of Area 48 and pass a new Conservation Measure based on the scientific work plan to:

• Ensure a healthy krill population
• Support a sustainable krill fishery over time
• Help ensure thriving Antarctic predator populations

Scientific monitoring

Implementing an effective scientific monitoring system is key to detecting and preventing negative ecosystem impacts of the Antarctic krill fishery. This could be achieved through the improvement of the existing CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP), which should include baleen whales. The following key elements are needed:

• Develop metrics/indicators of key predator populations
• Develop mechanisms for sustainable financing to ensure monitoring needed for management
• Conduct regular catch limit reviews based on mandatory krill acoustic surveys conducted at least every five years 

Compliance

ASOC supports CCAMLR in implementing improved control measures for krill fishery management, including enhanced inspections, a strengthened transshipment conservation measure, improved bycatch mitigation measures (including more comprehensive reporting and evaluation), more frequent vessel monitoring system (VMS) reporting, and 100% international scientific observer coverage.

Antarctic Peninsula MPA

The Antarctic Peninsula / Domain 1 MPA has been proposed for the region where the Antarctic krill fishery operates, and would work in tandem with the new ecosystem-based fisheries management system to provide protection for the region’s ecosystems. 

Once designated, it would protect key marine habitats, including benthic and pelagic ecosystems, safeguard important life-cycle areas for krill, fish, mammals, birds, and other vulnerable species, and promote scientific research on the impacts of fishing and climate change. 

The MPA would also support healthy krill populations and krill fisheries and foster international collaboration to protect biodiversity and ensure ecosystem health.

Read more about our Antarctic Peninsula MPA campaign.