It is not common for the fishing industry and the environmental community to see eye to eye on marine ecosystem management. But the recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decision to ban krill fishing in US Pacific coastal waters is recognized as helping fish species as well as other marine wildlife.
Many Species of Marine Animal Dependent on Krill
Marine wildlife from whales to seabirds to salmon feed on krill, which is often described as small, shrimp-like crustaceans. Several endangered blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) were killed in Southern California in 2007 while feeding on krill that was massing in shipping lanes. Three species of Antarctic seals- the crabeater (Lobodon carcinophagus), the leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) and the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) also feed on krill or consume other krill eating species.
Krill is a food source for endangered seabirds like the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) and rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome). Rockfish and Pacific salmon (Onchorhynchus sp) also rely on krill as part of their diet.
Krill Fishery for Fish Farms, Aquariums and Human Use
Krill is used to feed farmed salmon, an industry which is under fire from environmentalists who cite the concentrated waste discharge and use of antibiotics, both of which make their way into the ocean. Krill is also used in aquarium fish food and as sport fishing bait.
In Japan krill for human consumption is called okiami. There it is eaten in soups, salads and entrees. Oil from krill is sold in health food stores as a nutritional supplement to enhance immune response and for joint problems. Some pharmaceutical products which promote post-surgical healing or reduce cholesterol levels also contain krill.
Marine Sanctuary Managers and Fishery Management Councils Back Krill Fishing Ban
When rockfish populations declined dramatically in 2003, followed by seabird mortalities linked to starvation in 2005, several California national marine sanctuary managers suggested that krill, a key food source for marine wildlife, be protected. The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which sets limits for the ocean fishing industry, agreed citing the salmon and rockfish harvest cuts that had recently become necessary.
Krill Fishery Continues in British Columbia and the Antarctic
The NOAA krill fishery ban affects US coastal waters out to 200 miles offshore but krill continue to be fished in British Columbia, just north of Washington State. Much of the krill harvested in Canada goes in the farmed salmon food industry.
Krill fishing in the Antarctic, which began in the 1970s, has been regulated since 1993, when the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources established rules intended to ensure krill fishing remained sustainable. Antarctic krill (Euphasia superba) populations are critical to the survival of Antarctic marine species.
The US Pacific coastal ban on krill fishing will prevent the development of a new fishery for a species which is critical to much of the ocean ecosystem. Consumers who wish to support the ban can learn more about the ways in which krill is used, some of which may be surprising, from the NOAA Southwest Fisheries website. Reducing personal use of krill based products will help to ensure the ban remains in force.
Dawn M. Smith - A vet nurse, Dawn has worked in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation around the world in addition to her veterinary hospital ...
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