Antarctic krill fishery

The commercial harvest of Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean, managed through international rules and catch limits. Its products include aquaculture feed and krill oil.

CCAMLR: The international commission responsible for conserving Antarctic marine living resources and regulating fisheries in its convention area. It sets the conservation measures and catch limits governing commercial krill harvest.
Antarctic krill: A small, swarming Antarctic crustacean that is a major food source for marine predators. It is the harvested species and a central link in Southern Ocean food webs.
Aquaculture feed: Feed formulated for farmed aquatic animals, including fish and crustaceans. Krill meal is sold as a protein-rich ingredient for some aquaculture feeds.
Antarctic toothfish fishery: The commercial fishery for Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish in Southern Ocean waters. It is another CCAMLR-managed fishery, but targets a long-lived fish rather than a swarming crustacean.
Continuous fishing system: A trawling method that pumps catch continuously from a net aboard a vessel while fishing continues. Some krill vessels use this system to process large catches without repeatedly hauling the net.
Southern Ocean food web: The network of feeding relationships among organisms in the Southern Ocean. Removing krill can affect predators and ecosystem processes beyond the targeted catch.
Krill oil: An oil extracted from krill that contains omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. It is a high-value product that helps drive commercial demand for krill.
IUU fishing: Fishing that is illegal, unreported, or unregulated under applicable laws and management rules. It contrasts with the regulated krill fishery and highlights why monitoring and catch documentation matter.
Krill trawling: The capture of krill with trawl nets, typically towed behind or alongside a fishing vessel. Trawl design and operation determine where and how the commercial catch is taken.
Whale recovery: The increase of some whale populations following the end of large-scale commercial whaling. Recovering whales may increase competition with fisheries for krill, though the scale varies by region.

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