The Antarctic krill fishery operated by Aker QRILL Company (AQC), which supplies the krill for Aker BioMarine, has been recertified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard. In 2010, when it was part of Aker BioMarine, it became the first krill fishery to be MSC certified, and it has met the standard continuously since.
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The fishery scored above the MSC’s best-practice benchmark on all three principles in a reassessment that included independent peer review, public consultation and an investigation of formal objections. The certification is valid for five years, with independent audits every year.
The reassessment began in spring 2025 and was carried out by LRQA, an accredited and independent conformity assessment body. Its team examined whether the fishery keeps the krill stock healthy, minimizes its impact on the wider Antarctic ecosystem and operates under effective management. Independent scientific peer reviewers reviewed the draft findings, and LRQA opened the draft report for public comment before recommending the fishery for certification in February 2026.
Two NGOs lodged formal objections. In line with MSC procedures, an Independent Adjudicator first reviewed them, and Assurance Services International (ASI), the independent body that oversees MSC assessors, then investigated them. ASI published its final report on 6 November 2026 and concluded that the fishery can proceed to certification.
The assessment highlighted the precautionary measures that regulate the fishery. Catch limits set by CCAMLR, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, allow only around 1% of the estimated krill biomass in the area to be fished, and scientific observers are on board 100% of fishing trips. The assessment also noted the fishery’s voluntary investment in science and monitoring, its low-bycatch fishing technology and its participation in voluntary no-fishing zones around penguin colonies during the breeding season.
“The Qrill fishery’s recertification demonstrates that sustainable fishing is possible in the sensitive Antarctic environment, provided it is underpinned by independent oversight, precaution and accountability.”
Independent assessment. Strong results.
Assessment scores
The fishery achieved strong scores across all three MSC principles, comfortably exceeding the threshold of 80 that each principle must reach for certification.
The particularly strong management score reflects the established CCAMLR framework, compliance and monitoring arrangements, and stakeholder engagement.
MSC scoring requires at least 60 on every performance indicator and an average of at least 80 per principle. These principle scores do not remove the three certification conditions described below.
Certification and continued improvements
Conditions and continued improvements
The certification includes three conditions in total. Two were introduced during the latest reassessment and concern how fishing can be managed at a finer, local scale to avoid concentrated harvesting in krill-rich areas, and how management decisions respond to that risk. A third condition, introduced in 2022, concerns the development of a harvest strategy agreed within CCAMLR. Fisheries must meet conditions by set deadlines to maintain certification, with progress monitored through annual independent audits.
While the recertification confirms that the fishery meets the MSC Fisheries Standard, Aker BioMarine recognizes the importance of continued improvements in ecosystem-based fisheries management and stronger safeguards for the wider Antarctic ecosystem.
Aker BioMarine has supported a Marine Protected Area in the Antarctic Peninsula region since 2022 and continues to support a new, science-based krill fisheries management approach within CCAMLR, including finer-scale distribution of catches.
What it means for customers
For customers and brands relying on Antarctic krill ingredients, independent certification provides important assurance that the fishery is assessed against internationally recognised sustainability requirements. It also supports transparency and confidence throughout the global krill supply chain.
“Our customers want to know where their krill comes from, and now they can read the full assessment for themselves. The krill in our ingredients comes from a fishery that independent experts have examined in detail and that others have been free to challenge, which is how it should be.”
How MSC certification works
Three principles
The MSC Fisheries Standard measures a fishery against three criteria: healthy fish stocks, minimal impact on the wider ecosystem, and effective, adaptive management.
Independent assessment
MSC sets the standard but does not assess fisheries itself. Accredited, independent assessment bodies carry out the evaluation and publish their findings.
Public scrutiny
Every assessment includes peer review and public consultation, and any stakeholder, including NGOs and scientific bodies, can formally object before certification is confirmed. Objections are investigated by Assurance Services International (ASI), an independent oversight body.
Performance requirements
A fishery must score at least 60 out of 100 on every performance indicator and average 80 or higher across each principle. Falling short of best practice on any indicator means accepting a binding condition to improve, with fixed deadlines and annual follow-up.
Continuous oversight
Certificates run for five years, with independent surveillance audits carried out annually in between.
Explore the independent MSC assessment
The assessment documentation is publicly available.
MSC’s assessment page for the fishery:
Explore the independent MSC assessmentAbout the Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation that runs the world’s leading certification and ecolabelling programme for sustainable seafood. The MSC Fisheries Standard is a science-based set of requirements for sustainable fishing, developed with scientists, the fishing industry and conservation organisations and revised regularly to reflect the latest science and best practice. To be certified, a fishery must show that it fishes at sustainable levels, minimises its environmental impact and is well managed, and it must pass an independent audit every year.
About Aker BioMarine
Aker BioMarine is a leading human health and nutrition innovator that develops sustainable marine-based health ingredients. By harnessing the natural, nutritional power of krill and algae, Aker BioMarine has a unique position in its industry by helping address global health challenges, such as omega-3 deficiencies. The ingredient portfolio consists of Superba Krill® Oil, Lysoveta®, Revervia® and PL+™. More information is available at www.akerbiomarine.com.
Media contact
Marte Dalsegg
Chief Communications Officer
Aker BioMarine
marte.dalsegg@akerbiomarine.com