international protection organization Sea Shepherd Global last week documented how two super trawlers were deployed with their massive nets harassed a group of more than a hundred fin whales while feeding on krill off the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. The strategy of these ships, some of which carry the Asian flag, is ‘stealing this food from whales to make fodder for aquaculture or to obtain krill oilfor the animal feed industry, among other things. The immediate effect of this collective krill capture, starving large whale populationsthe main source of livelihood is these small organisms that endanger these species.
The crew of the new Sea Shepherd Global vessel Allankay reported that when they noticed the presence of some trawlers near the perimeter vessel, they did not change their course, but others immediately cleared their nets and fled the scene.
The resulting images were captured on the first day of Sea Shepherd Global’s arrival in the Southern Ocean for a conservation campaign. Operation Antarctic Defense is the mission to fully combat these trawlers seeking krill, whose fleets are growing and are considered the “greatest ecological threat to the Antarctic ecosystem”.
Krill, a small shrimp-like crustacean that forms the basis of the entire Antarctic ecosystem, It is the main food source for baleen whales and penguins, and much of the marine life is directly dependent on krill. as a complete or nearly complete food source.
Hunting krill, leaving animals without food
With the decline of whaling internationally, regularly replaced krill fishing with 12-14 industrial trawlers in these waters, which no longer directly target whales but the essential species they rely on for survival.
“We are seeing a sharp decline in humpback whale reproduction, a decline in the body mass of sea lions, and a sharp decline in populations of chinstrap penguins.. All three species depend on krill as their primary food source. All the while, climate change has reduced the amount and duration of sea ice krill need to survive,” said Allankay captain Peter Hammarstedt.
The deadly effect of this situation on whales is not only indirect. In 2021, three whales were documented killed in three separate episodes on krill trawlers, highlighting the growing conflict between fishing vessel operators and whales chasing the krill themselves.
Three weeks ago, the magazine ecology Published emerging research from Stanford University. four large fishing boats were harassing a supergroup of more than 1,000 fin whales in search of krill. The study concluded that such competition between krill fishermen and whalers will increase further in the future. “And indeed, the latest images from the South Orkney Islands show that this fishing incident was not an isolated incident,” the conservation organization adds.
Designed for aquaculture fish farms
Krill is mined mainly from the Southern Ocean. Producing krill meal, a feed additive in the aquaculture industry, as well as producing krill oil from which omega-3 dietary supplements are made in bulk.. As a feed additive, the same oil is used in animal feeds. As a food additive, krill flour turns the gray flesh of captive salmon pink or red, mimicking its wild cousins.
Modern krill fishing vessels place a vacuum hose at the end of the trawler to allow 24-hour fishing. day, by sucking from the sea.
“This is absurd and a crime against nature. mouths of hungry whales and penguins so that only this keystone species on which the health of the entire ecosystem depends can be sucked out of the void to turn farmed salmon into pink salmon‘ said Alistair Allan, an Antarctic activist of the Bob Brown Foundation.
Crew on Allankay will monitor the fisheries and its impact on whales, document their activities and map the entire supply chain. Sea Shepherd Global has teamed up with the Bob Brown Foundation of Australia to research krill fishing companies and how it’s done. Krill is ending up on the shelves of Australian supermarkets and pharmacies as part of the “Stop Cyrillic Fishing” campaign.
“Antarctic krill hunting should be banned immediately” because of its devastating effect on krill-dependent species. Fishing for these tiny organisms destroys the foundation of the entire Antarctic food chain. Sea Shepherd intervenes in illegal fishing activities only by direct intervention. When fishing is legal – as with krill fishing – we must monitor and document the fishing activity to make the necessary changes. “This is a fishery that should not be allowed to operate in this pristine environment and we will work to achieve this through law or markets,” said Captain Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd Global.
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