Antarctica is a globally significant ecosystem.

It acts as a thermostat for the entire planet and plays a critical role in regulating our climate. It is home to a spectacular array of wildlife found nowhere else in the world.

The krilling grounds

This Austral summer, Bob Brown Foundation in collaboration with Sea Shepherd are in the Antarctic Peninsula to expose and document the destructive krill fishery and to show how we, as consumers, might inadvertently be part of Antarctica’s destruction.

How the keystone of the Antarctic ecosystem ends up on our supermarket shelves

Krill is the keystone species of the Antarctic ecosystem. Most of Antarctica’s animals, such as penguins, whales and seals rely either directly or indirectly on these tiny creatures.

However gigantic industrial trawlers are hoovering krill out of the Southern Ocean at a frightening rate and they catch them right where penguins and whales expect to find krill to eat and survive.

These same animals, lured by a trawling net with masses of krill, can become entangled and even killed. Last year alone, three humpback whales died in krill fishing nets.

Krill, on which so many animals rely, are caught by these mega trawlers for products such as farmed fish feed, pet food and even supposed “health products” in the form of krill oil capsules. The ramifications of the depletion of a healthy Antarctic krill population will reverberate right up the food chain.

It may surprise you to know that it’s very likely that Antarctic krill is on the shelf at your nearest pharmacy or supermarket. It can even be in the pet food that you feed your cat or dog. We are calling for everyone to boycott krill products. It is an environmental crime to destroy healthy populations of these keystone species, especially when krill oil can be easily replaced with plant-based omega oils.

Antarctic Food Web

Penguins

There are 17 species of penguins in the world, but the 8 that you most likely know live in Antarctica or the Sub Antarctic Islands. It is the smaller penguins, such as adelie and chinstrap penguins that rely entirely on krill to survive. The data shows that penguins have been hugely affected by proximal krill fishing to their colonies.

Whales

Baleen whales, like the largest animal to ever exist, the Blue whale, rely completely on krill. Once hunted to near extinction in the Antarctic, now whales face the new threat of krill fishing. Not only are they competing for food, new research shows a dramatic drop in pregnancy rates for whales competing with these supertrawlers.

Seals

Though more and more is still being learnt about seals and their relationship with krill, it turns out they are sometimes the primary source of food for seals. Crabeater seals, despite their name, rely completely on krill for their diet. There is growing evidence that seal colonies are being adversely affected by krill fishing.

Take Action

Send an email to Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Urge them to vote no at CCAMLR to increasing krill fishing in Antarctica.

The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic and Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) will meet this October, where they will discuss the potential of raising the catch limit of krill.

Delegates from all over the world will be in Hobart to make this decision.

We need to tell Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek that they can be the voice of reason amongst nations and prevent more krill from being hoovered out of the southern ocean.

Add your voice

Join 1714 other people who have signed!

Please edit the default email to explain, in your own words, why Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek should vote no at CCAMLR to increasing krill fishing in Antarctica.

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Hon Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia.
Hon Tanya Plibersek, Minister for the Environment.
Canberra.

Dear Prime Minister and Minister for the Environment,
 
Krill are vital, and support the entire food web including whales and penguins. It is an environmental crime to remove such a foundational species from an ecosystem.

Antarctica and its wildlife are already facing unprecedented pressure from climate change impacts: krill hatch rates are predicted to drop by as much as 50% this century.

We must give krill total protection if they are to have any chance in the face of this monumental challenge.

The world’s oceans rely on a healthy Southern Ocean. Krill is crucial for this. Antarctica and its wildlife deserve protection, not factory trawlers pillaging their waters.

There is currently a push to increase the catch limit of krill above 620,000 tonnes. This will be determined at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic and Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting in Hobart in October 2023.

I call on you, as Australia’s leaders at CCAMLR, to ensure that Australia votes NO to any suggestion of an increase to the catch limit of krill and, instead, urge a ban and permanent end to the fishing of krill in the entire Southern Ocean.

Yours sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here]
Postcode: [your location will go here]

End Krill Fishing

Exposing and documenting destructive krill fishing in Antarctica