Krill fishery near Antarctica shut early after record catch exceeds limit

Krill, a species crucial to marine food chains, is under increasing pressure due to fishing, climate change, and growing demand for its omega-3 oil used in fishmeal, pet food, and human supplements.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | August 5, 2025 09:59 PM IST

2 min read

In this photo provided by Sea Shepherd, a whale swims near the krill trawler Fu Xing Hai with mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula in the background. (AP)

The krill fishery near Antarctica has been shut down earlier than expected after trawlers surpassed the seasonal catch limit for the tiny crustacean — an important food source for whales and plays a role in combating climate change.

This early closure marks the first time the catch has exceeded the limit, and it follows a report by the Associated Press (AP) last week revealing a significant surge in the krill harvest. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the body overseeing the fishery, confirmed the closure of the 2024-25 season earlier this month, which was meant to run until December. The fishery closed after the catch hit the 620,000-metric-ton limit.

CCAMLR has not provided a detailed comment, but officials confirmed the closure. Last year, multiple countries, including the US, Russia, and China, failed to approve a new plan for managing krill fishing. Without this plan, industrial trawlers were allowed to fish freely, including in areas where whales, penguins, and seals live. One area saw a 60% increase in the catch compared to the previous season.

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Krill, a species crucial to marine food chains, is under increasing pressure due to fishing, climate change, and growing demand for its omega-3 oil used in fishmeal, pet food, and human supplements. In the 2023-24 season, a fleet of 12 trawlers caught a record 498,350 tons of krill, the highest amount since data collection began in 1973.

The increasing competition for krill has also led to several incidents where whales became trapped or injured in the nets used to catch the crustaceans.

Beyond being a food source, krill plays an important role in fighting climate change. A study found that krill removes 20 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year, the equivalent of removing five million cars from the road annually.

(With inputs from AP)

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