What is in this article?:
- Research on krill sustainability ramps up
- World's largest krill harvester supports research
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry will invest about $1 million into research on how the Antarctic krill harvest affects penguins and other predators.
Aker BioMarine, the world's largest krill harvester, applauded the move and supports more research into sustainable krill harvesting. Having a strong research base could avoid problems plaguing other fisheries, in which overharvesting becomes apparent only after it's too late.
In early September, the Norwegian government announced a significant investment into research on krill sustainability in the seas surrounding Antarctica. The approximately $1 million infusion will help collect data on the amount of krill biomass and how harvesting operations might affect the populations of top predators such as penguins and seals.
The move was applauded by the Norwegian chapter of the World Wildlife Fund, which said, "There are still large gaps in our knowledge about the ecosystem, climate change and the impacts of the krill fishery. WWF therefore warmly welcomes the news that the research in the Southern Ocean will be strengthened to learn more about the penguins, seals and krill in the Antarctic."
The issue of how krill is harvested—and how much is harvested—has been on the radar in the natural products space ever since Whole Foods Market moved last year to exclude krill supplements from its shelves because of sustainability concerns.
Aker BioMarine, headquartered in Oslo, Norway, also applauded the investment by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs. Aker BioMarine is the world’s largest harvester of krill, bringing in half the annual catch with just one advanced vessel.
The company invented a specially-designed filter net that goes over the mouth of the big trawl net. Aker BioMarine says this excludes bycatch, which has been a major concern in other fisheries. The net stays submerged for two or three weeks at a time and the krill are pumped via a tube up to the ship. Unwanted species of fish, birds or mammals can’t enter the net, nor do they ever leave the water.
Aker BioMarine has also been a major supporter of krill research, say Eric Anderson, vice president for sales and marketing. And last year the krill fishery became certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. "The krill fishery today is absolutely sustainable. It is one of the best-managed fisheries in the world. The krill biomass in that area is the largest underexploited biomass in the world today," he said.
"Here's [the environmentalists'] concern: What if krill becomes super popular? What happens if we go from harvesting 200 million metric tons to a billion metric tons?"
"We’ll be the first company to say that, yes, we need more research. We need a better understanding of the impact on predator populations," Anderson said.
