International protection organization Sea Shepherd Global last week documented two large trawlers deploying expansive nets that harassed a group of more than a hundred fin whales while they fed on krill off the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. The ships, some carrying Asian registration, appeared to use a strategy of diverting krill away from the whales to feed aquaculture operations or to extract krill oil for animal feed. The immediate consequence was a strain on the very small organisms that form the backbone of the Antarctic food web and sustain large whale populations that rely on krill as a key food source.
Allankay, Sea Shepherd Global’s recent vessel, reported that when trawlers were seen near the perimeter vessel, some boats held their course while others quickly cleared their nets and moved away. The resulting footage captured on the first day of Sea Shepherd Global’s deployment in the Southern Ocean marks the start of Operation Antarctic Defense, a mission aimed at curbing the growing krill fleet and its impact on the Antarctic ecosystem, which scientists and conservationists describe as a major ecological threat to the region.
One of the trawlers continues to operate in full motion as the crew of Sea Shepherd Global documents the incident.
Krill, a small shrimp-like crustacean, forms the foundation of the entire Antarctic ecosystem. It serves as the primary food source for baleen whales and penguins, supporting a wide array of marine life that depends on this abundant plankton to survive. Krill plays a central role in sustaining the energy flow that keeps the Antarctic food chain balanced.
Hunting krill, leaving animals without food
With the global decline of whaling, krill fishing has scaled up with 12 to 14 industrial trawlers operating in these waters. The focus has shifted away from direct whaling toward harvesting the crucial species whales rely on for survival, destabilizing the food chain that has evolved over millennia.
“We are witnessing a sharp drop in humpback whale reproduction, a decline in the body mass of sea lions, and a noticeable reduction in chinstrap penguin populations. All three depend on krill as their main food source. At the same time, climate change is shrinking sea ice and shortening the window krill need to thrive,” explained the captain of Allankay, Peter Hammarstedt.
The impact on whales is not purely indirect. In 2021, three separate events documented the deaths of whales on or near krill trawlers, underscoring a rising conflict between fishing vessels and the whales pursuing their primary prey.
Three weeks ago, ecology researchers published emerging findings from Stanford University showing that four large fishing vessels harassing a supergroup of more than 1,000 fin whales in search of krill is part of a pattern. The study warned that competition between krill fishermen and whalers is likely to intensify in the years ahead. “The latest images from the South Orkney Islands indicate that this fishing incident was not isolated,” the conservation community adds.
Designed for aquaculture fish farms
Krill is primarily harvested from the Southern Ocean to produce krill meal, a feed additive used in aquaculture, and krill oil, which contributes to omega-3 dietary supplements in bulk. The same oil is also employed as a feed additive in animal products, while krill flour adds color to farmed salmon, giving it a pink or reddish hue similar to its wild counterparts.
Modern krill vessels employ vacuum hoses at the end of the trawl system to enable near-24-hour harvesting, drawing krill directly from the sea.
“This situation is unacceptable and a direct challenge to the natural balance. It deprives hungry whales and penguins of the keystone species that supports the entire ecosystem,” stated Antarctic activist Alistair Allan of the Bob Brown Foundation.
The crew aboard Allankay intends to monitor fisheries and assess their effects on whales, documenting activities and mapping the supply chain. Sea Shepherd Global has joined forces with the Bob Brown Foundation of Australia to investigate krill fishing practices and how these fleets operate. Krill has begun appearing on Canadian and Australian supermarket shelves, driven by campaigns that scrutinize the fishing methods and their ecological footprint.
“Antarctic krill harvesting should be halted immediately due to its devastating impact on species that rely on krill,” argued Captain Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd Global. “Fishing for such a keystone resource disrupts the entire Antarctic food chain. Sea Shepherd intervenes in illegal fishing activities through direct action. When fishing is legal, monitoring and documentation are essential to push for change through law or market pressures.”
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The environmental department notes have been removed from this article to maintain focus on the narrative and findings described above.