Industry limits krill fishing in Southern Ocean

Good news for efforts to conserve the Antarctic’s fisheries and the fragile eco-systems of the Southern Ocean! In early July (2018), the Association of Responsible Krill harvesting companies (ARK), which represents 85 percent of the krill industry in the Antarctic, committed to stop fishing in large coastal areas around the Antarctic Peninsula.

Greenpeace and the Guardian newspaper in the UK have been campaigning in support of a proposal to create a new Marine Protected Area in the Southern Ocean, in addition to the one in the Ross Sea.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), whose members include 24 national governments and the EU, will decide on the sanctuary proposal at a conference in Australia in October. The move is being put forward by the EU and is being backed by the UK.