Scientists urge consumers to stop buying Antarctic krill products

· Climate

A group of scientists is urging consumers to stop buying products made from Antarctic krill, warning that the expanding fishery could damage the Southern Ocean's marine food web. Whales, penguins, seals and seabirds depend on vast swarms of krill, which are also harvested to produce Omega-3 supplements, pet food and feed for farm-raised salmon. The appeal reflects concern that concentrated fishing in the waters around the Antarctic Peninsula, a region warming rapidly, competes with wildlife already under pressure from climate change. Krill catch limits are set by an international commission whose decisions are closely watched by both the fishing industry and conservation groups.

Why it matters：The krill fishery sits at the intersection of the health-supplement and aquaculture supply chains and Antarctic conservation, and the pressure could shape international catch rules and sourcing decisions.

Key points

  • Krill underpins the Southern Ocean food web, feeding whales, penguins, seals and seabirds.
  • Harvested for Omega-3 supplements, pet food and farmed-salmon feed.
  • Catch limits are set by an international commission.

Sources (original reporting)

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