The fishery for Antarctic krill – conflicts between industrial production, protection of biodiversity, and legal governance

Abstract

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is responsible for conserving the Antarctic marine ecosystem, where conservation also includes the management of commercial fisheries. The largest fishery (by weight) in Antarctic waters is that for Antarctic krill, a species vital to biogeochemical cycles and carbon sequestration, and a critical dietary item for a broad guild of marine predators. Fishing interests grew from the 1960s onwards, but catches then declined following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Now catches are again increasing, CCAMLR has been developing a revised krill fishery management framework intended to reduce ecosystem risks to predators at critical times of year. At the CCAMLR meeting in 2024, ongoing development of the revised framework was considered, however no progress was made. Progress is urgent, since part of the existing management approach was not renewed. Consequently, by default, catches in the southwest Atlantic may now aggregate in space and time; the interim catch limit for krill (620,000 t) can now be taken from anywhere and at any time, including at times and in places critical to krill predators, possibly with unintended consequences. Allowing catches to aggregate in space and time is something CCAMLR has long sought to avoid. Existing voluntary measures implemented by the fishery will help distribute catches, but are no substitute for de jure management. In addition to risks to the ecosystem, the current situation also presents risks for fishing nations and for CCAMLR itself. Rapid progress with the revised management framework now depends upon rebuilding consensus.

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