ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 13, 2023
While krill fishing is banned in U.S. waters due to concerns it could impact whales, seals and other animals that feed on the shrimp-like creatures, it’s been taking place for decades in Antarctica, where krill are most abundant. Scientists warn the fishery is at a critical juncture and in urgent need of stricter controls. But action is mired in geopolitical wrangling as Russia and China look to quickly expand the catch. Dominating the global supply chain is a Norwegian company responsible for about 70% of the global krill catch by volume. The bulk of the harvest ends up in tiny pellets used in fish pens around the world. Capt. Peter Hammarstedt of Sea Shepherd Global says, “Most people know sustainability when they see it, and it does not look like a fleet of ships traveling thousands of miles, to the bottom of the world, to take out the very building block of life in the Antarctic ecosystem for products we simply do not need.”