Aquaculture and krill fishing companies agree to support MPAs and large no-fishing zones

In a landmark move, representatives from conservation groups and the seafood and aquaculture industries - including krill fishing companies and BioMar - have agreed to support the creation of marine protected areas, including large no-fishing zones in the Antarctic. This major announcement from a group of the largest krill fishing companies will see nearly all krill companies operating in the Antarctic voluntarily stop fishing in huge areas around the Antarctic. According to BioMar\'s Sustainability Director, “sourcing krill can be done at safe levels that considers the Antarctic ecosystem and marine species that rely on it as an essential nutrient in their diet. The overwhelming support for this commitment up and down the value chain shows just what can be achieved when we collaborate together under the shared vision of a sustainable aquaculture industry.\"

July 12, 2018

The fishing conservation committment was initiated by Aker BioMarine, a supplier of MSC certified Antarctic krill.

“A huge movement of people globally has been joined by scientists, governments, celebrities and now even the companies fishing in the Antarctic,\" said Frida Bengtsson of Greenpeace’s Protect the Antarctic campaign. \"This is a bold and progressive move from these krill fishing companies, and we hope to see the remainder of the krill industry follow suit.\"

This major announcement from a group of the largest krill fishing companies will see nearly all krill companies operating in the Antarctic voluntarily stop fishing in huge areas around the Antarctic Peninsula, including ‘buffer zones’ around breeding colonies of penguins, to protect Antarctic wildlife. The fishing companies are all members of the Association of Responsible Krill harvesting companies (ARK), and represent 85% of the krill fishing industry in the Antarctic.

BioMar having already achieved their sustainability KPI of 100% MSC certified krill, welcomes the scientific and political process for the creation of a network of large-scale marine protected areas in the Antarctic.

“Sourcing krill can be done at safe levels that considers the Antarctic ecosystem and marine species that rely on it as an essential nutrient in their diet,\" said Vidar Gundersen, BioMar Global Sustainability Director. \"This initiative further strengthens the sustainability and precautionary practicing shown by our supplier Aker BioMarine. The overwhelming support for this commitment up and down the value chain shows just what can be achieved when we collaborate together under the shared vision of a sustainable aquaculture industry.\"

Krill is a natural source of essential nutrients in the diet of many marine species from penguins and whales to salmon and shrimp. It’s important to BioMar that the world supply of krill is harvested responsibly and that the fisheries and companies supplying this essential ingredient have been certified by MSC which is currently the strictest certification program for marine harvesting.

Antarctic scientists are drawing up the technical plans for marine protected areas in the Antarctic Ocean, one of which is expected to cover around 1.8 million square kilometres in the Weddell Sea. The final decision will be taken by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in October 2018, when it convenes in Hobart, Tasmania.