Alarm over reports of massive #krill catch in the Southern Ocean
August 1, 2025
#ASOC is calling on world governments to take urgent action
Washington, 31 July 2025: "In response to a report by the Associated Press that the Antarctic krill fishery may have to imminently close due to an unprecedented high catch, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) is calling on world governments to take urgent action. The historic catch amount occurred due to the lapse of a key #conservation regulation requiring the fishery to distribute fishing over a larger geographic area.
"Krill is at the base of the #FoodChain in Antarctica and increasing demand from companies seeking to sell fishmeal, #PetFood and #DietarySupplements has led to a spiraling increase in catch. International negotiations at CCAMLR, the body charged with conserving marine living resources in Antarctica, broke down last year, resulting in lowering of protections related to krill catch. This reduction in protection allows the entire krill quota to be caught in a very small area, increasing impacts to krill predators – #penguins, #seals, and #whales – that depend on krill to survive.
"The next round of negotiations on these issues will be held in Australia in October. Scientific research has previously shown that krill predators are negatively affected by fishing at an even lower level of catch than was seen this year."
https://www.asoc.org/news/alarm-over-reports-of-massive-krill-catch-in-the-southern-ocean/
#OceansAreLife #Overfishing
#FoodIsLife #Extinction #MarineLife
#Whales #KrillHarvesting #KrillSupplements #StarvingWhales