Antarctic krill: how did a paperclip-sized crustacean cause a diplomatic row – and why are they so important? | Antarctica

Why are they so important in Antarctica?

In Antarctica, these are the key species on which the entire Southern Ocean ecosystem depends. Although they are only the size of a paper clip, penguins, whales and seals all rely on them as their main food source. They also play a crucial role in regulating the climate by storing carbon. One study found that krill can remove up to 12 billion tons of carbon per year from the atmosphere.

They are fished in large quantities by industrial trawlers in the Southern Ocean and processed into food for pets and farmed fish, as well as omega-3 supplements.

Last year, around 500,000 tonnes of krill were trawled in Antarctica. Norway caught 67.2% of the total krill catch in 2023; followed by China, at 17.1%; South Korea, with 8.4%; Chile, with 4.4%; and Ukraine with 2.8%.

Are they threatened?

Environmentalists and scientists have long warned that krill is increasingly threatened by overfishing and climate change.

A recent study by Norwegian and German scientists, using acoustic recordings to identify areas of overlap, found that krill ships and Antarctic predators track the same krill swarms. There is no time in the year when fishing does not affect the feeding of marine life, they said.

In his film Ocean, which showed krill trawlers alongside Antarctic whales, David Attenborough expressed his concerns: “Some people say it’s sustainable, but we could destroy the foundations of an entire ecosystem. »

Is there official monitoring of krill fishing?

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is an international body established in the 1980s, partly in response to concerns about the impacts of krill fishing on wildlife. As part of the Antarctic Treaty system, its aim is to take a precautionary and ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management.

Made up of 26 member countries and the EU, the commission meets annually to make decisions on fishing catches and the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs). In 2009, all members agreed to create a network of MPAs in the Southern Ocean by 2012.

Since then, however, only two MPAs have been created – the South Orkney Islands and the Ross Sea – despite proposals from member states. This raised questions about the body’s effectiveness.

The commission, which operates on a consensual basis, has been in a diplomatic standoff for years, with Russia and China repeatedly blocking the creation of MPAs.

Who is putting pressure on CCAMLR?

A coalition of scientists, conservation organizations, environmental activists and others have called on CCAMLR to ensure it implements its conservation mandate and close the Southern Ocean to krill fishing.

Launching their campaign at the United Nations ocean conference in France earlier this year, they warned that continued exploitation of krill would lead to ecological collapse. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch and veteran oceanographer Sylvia Earle are among the campaign’s supporters.

What’s happening at CCAMLR this year?

This year, for the first time, the number of krill trawled in Antarctic waters reached what scientists consider an unsustainable level.

Despite this, some countries are seeking to significantly increase the catch limit in the ecologically sensitive Antarctic Peninsula. Any proposal in this direction could exceed a precautionary limit set by scientists.