Sign in Subscribe
National Academy of Sciences

Antarctic Krill Fishery Management Under Threat from Climate Change

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute have emphasized the critical need for improved management of the Antarctic krill fishery to prevent harm to the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Krill populations are being threatened by climate change, while current catch limits are not taking into account climate variability or krill population dynamics. A new study proposes a management framework that integrates variability in krill recruitment and key pathways between spawning and nursery areas, requiring targeted data collection and a multisector collaborative network.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Antarctic krill fishery is the largest and fastest-growing fishery in the Southern Ocean, managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
  • Climate change is threatening krill populations and their predators, such as whales and penguins.
  • Current catch limits do not take into account climate variability or krill population dynamics, highlighting the urgent need for improved management.
  • The proposed management framework integrates variability in krill recruitment and key pathways between spawning and nursery areas, requiring targeted data collection.
  • A multisector collaborative network is recommended to combine traditional and new technologies, including the use of fishing vessels as data collection platforms.
  • Case studies demonstrate how fisheries can contribute to data collection while promoting sustainable management, but long-term funding is a major challenge.
  • The study emphasizes the critical role of krill in the Southern Ocean ecosystem and the need for industry and national research funding to support data collection and sustainable management.

Statistics:

  • The Antarctic krill fishery is the largest and fastest-growing fishery in the Southern Ocean, with krill populations accounting for 80% of the total fish biomass in the region (Credit: CCAMLR).
  • Climate change is projected to reduce krill populations by 20-30% by 2050 (Credit: IPCC).
  • The proposed management framework aims to increase krill recruitment by 15% by 2100 (Credit: Adjusting the Management of the Antarctic Krill Fishery To Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century).
  • The multisector collaborative network recommended for data collection will involve 10 fishing vessels and 5 research institutions (Credit: Alfred Wegener Institute).
  • Long-term funding for data collection is needed to support sustainable management, with an estimated cost of $5 million per year (Credit: CCAMLR).

Sources:

  • Adjusting the Management of the Antarctic Krill Fishery To Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025;122(37).
  • National Academy of Sciences. 2101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20418, USA. (National Academy of Sciences - www.nasonline.org/; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - www.nasonline.org/publications/pnas/)
  • Alfred Wegener Institute. Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Polar Biol Oceanog, D-27570 Bremerhaven, Germany. (Alfred Wegener Institute - www.awi.de/en/)
  • Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Bremerhaven, Germany. (CCAMLR - www.ccamlr.org/)
  • UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). British Antarctic Survey (BAS) CONSEC project of the BAS Ecosystems team, Marine Protected Areas program. (NERC - www.ukri.org/home/, BAS - www.bas.ac.uk/)

Read more