Footprint, August 11 2022. Read the full report
The Changing markets foundation recently released a report investigating the use/sale of Antarctic krill in European based retailers and found that almost half of those studied sold supplements containing krill oil. Not only that but many were linked to farmed salmon supply that uses krill oil in their feed.
The problem is destructive fishing practices which include a large trawl with essentially a vacuum hose, the rate of harvest of Antarctic krill, and the greenwashing that comes along with it to hide the impact. Of concern is that many of these products bear the MSC label, which the report highlights.
Our thoughts: In 2010, the MSC issued its first certification of Antarctic krill, despite objections by a number of organisations, including members of Make Stewardship Count, who stated that certification of the Aker Biomarine fishery posed a serious threat to Antarctic animals that depend on krill to survive. They also cited uncertainties regarding krill populations in the Southern Ocean, the impacts of other fisheries on krill beyond the Aker unit of assessment, and the potential impacts of climate change. Unfortunately, the certification of the fishery was upheld. In the years since, concerns have only grown. Krill trawlers are fitted with a suction system that operates continuously for up to ten days, with the krill pumped to the ship through a hose connected to the end of the trawl. As noted in the Changing Markets report, one of the major concerns with the fishery is the overlap with foraging areas for key species, which has only been exacerbated by climate change. Since 2021, at least four juvenile humpback whales have been entangled and killed in Aker krill fishery suction trawls.
