Krill harvesting is not taking food away from the whales
Scientific research, conducted over several years, has consistently demonstrated the high abundance of krill in the Antarctic ecosystem.
In 2019 the Antarctic krill biomass was measured to 63 million metric tonnes around the Antarctic peninsula – a few million tonnes more than previously estimated by the scientists’ last big survey in year 2000. Recent scientific research, published in 2023, has confirmed the significant concentration of krill in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula. This indicates a robust and thriving ecosystem that supports a variety of marine species.
The sustainable management of the krill fishery contributes to maintaining the health and balance of this ecosystem. The krill fishery is closely regulated by CCAMLR and today, there is probably no other fishery in the world that takes out less of the estimated biomass: the allowable catch is less than 1 % of the biomass (620 000 MT catch limit) and the actual catch is about 0,5-0,6%. Read more about the conservation measures on Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)s website.
Whale and seal populations in Antarctica are on the rebound and estimated to be rising to the same level as pre-whaling, around 100 years ago. The resurgent populations of whales and seals is no doubt a testament to their access to and the surplus of their main feed source: krill.
Sustainability, transparency, and responsibility are characteristics of our company governance and way of operating. To us, it makes no sense to take something out of the ocean to improve our health, if it simultaneously compromises the health of the ocean. Read more about how Aker BioMarine sustainability efforts here.
