Once fishing of a species was discovered as viable, full-scale unsustainable exploitation began leading to a rapid decline of species then the commercial fishing switches to another species and the cycle starts again. However by the end of the s CCAMLR had banned fishing for most finfish species or put into place strict catch limits.
Fishing for krill began in the s. There was concern at the time that the fishing of krill would negatively impact on the entire Antarctic marine ecosystem because krill is a major food source for many species of whale, seal, bird and fish species.
Krill is used for animal feed, aquaculture feed, bait and food for humans. After the Soviet fleet stopped operating in the early s, the krill catch dropped dramatically. The current krill catch is slightly more than , tonnes a year. Over the last 10 years there has been a large increase in illegal, unregulated and unreported IUU fishing in the convention area and nearby areas, although IUU has been completely eliminated around South Georgia.
Substantial catches of toothfish have been taken by longline fishing and more recently with gillnet fishing. IUU fishing is considered to be fishing that is conducted illegally within the Convention Area or in a way that is against the conservation measures put in place to control and monitor catches. IUU fishing of toothfish has raised cause for concern. The high level of IUU fishing has had a negative effect on toothfish stocks but has also seriously affected other species in the food web including sea bird populations putting the future sustainability of both groups into question.
This prevents delays in decision making that could allow unsustainable practices to continue causing long term impacts on marine life. And yet it is a risk that 14 vessels considered worth taking last year alone, as countries increasingly venture into the Antarctic to catch a species with great value to the billion-dollar health supplement industry: krill.
Each roughly the size of a paperclip, Antarctic krill is the most abundant species on Earth. There are an estimated m tonnes of krill in the Antarctic alone. It is a key link in the food chain: krill contributes iron and other nutrients that fertilise the ocean, and is a vital food source for wildlife including whales, penguins and seals. It also plays an integral part in the carbon cycle. The Southern Ocean is one of the largest carbon sinks in the world, and krill are so numerous they can influence atmospheric carbon levels.
While krill have long been used in aquaculture to fatten farmed fish, krill oil has become a gold rush for the dietary supplements industry in the past decade. Marketed as a superior and sustainable alternative to fish oil pills, Antarctic krill products are touted as more effective in delivering omega-3 fatty acids to the bloodstream than fish oil, which has been linked to improved heart and brain health — among many other benefits.
And there is no fishy aftertaste. With growing concerns about overfishing and the quality of fish oil, producers also promote krill products as a premium and more environmentally friendly substitute.
But for all the claims of sustainability, the rise in demand has seen quotas reached with alarming speed. Feature Story , West Coast.
West Coast. Veteran Jonathan Hallenbeck and staff from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife monitoring invasive crabs at an oyster farm in Drayton Harbor. Credit: Northwest Straits Commission.
Feature Story. An oyster farmer oversees the rack-and-bag system; long cables that hold submerged oyster baskets in place. Credit: Hog Island Oyster Co. More News. The study warned that the penguin population could drop by almost one-third by the end of the century due to changes in krill biomass.
Krill are a key part of the delicate Antarctic food chain. They feed on marine algae and are a key source of food for whales, penguins and seals. They are also important in removing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by eating carbon-rich food near the surface and excreting it when they sink to lower, colder water. There is a growing global demand for krill-based health products which are claimed to help with a range of ailments from heart disease to high blood pressure, strokes and depression.
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