For the fourth year in a row, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership has ranked the Antarctic krill fishery with an ‘A’ rating, the highest ranking attainable for meal or oil fisheries.
The yearly Reduction Fisheries Sustainability Overview states that the Atlantic Southern Ocean has once again singled out as being particularly well-managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
“This SFP ranking confirms the confidence in krill as a sustainable choice that we believe can be an important driver of sustainability in aquaculture production globally,” said Pål Einar Skogrand, sustainability manager at Aker BioMarine.
Large investments
Krill companies that operate in the Antarctic have invested in supporting ecosystem research over a long time.
Earlier this year, with the rest of the Association for Responsible Krill Harvesters (ARK), Aker BioMarine made a commitment to establish ‘buffer zones’ that restrict fishing up to 40 kilometres away from penguin colonies during breeding season.
“This is a precautionary action to protect Antarctic wildlife while we wait for CCAMLR to establish a solid large-scale marine protected area around the Antarctic Peninsula. A good sustainability practice is good for business, and necessary for food production and the omega-3 industry overall,” Mr Skogrand added.
Overall, the 2018 SFP reduction fisheries report shows overall improvement in the sustainability of fisheries analysed with 91% of the total catch volume came from stocks that scored six or better (considered reasonably managed fisheries).
This marks an 8% increase in performance compared to last year.
