2.a Krill case study

What is krill?

Small shrimp-like crustacea living for about five years.

Krill swimming ability

Able to swim up and down but not against currents.

Krill trophic level

Primary consumers.

Maximum krill swarm size

Up to 2 million tonnes.

Primary marine predators of krill

Whales, seals, dolphins, birds, and squids.

Human health supplement from krill

Omega 3 oil.

Agricultural use of krill

Food for fish farms.

Carbon sequestration by krill

Excreting carbon-rich phytoplankton waste at deep sea levels.

Main climate threat to krill

Warming sea temperatures.

Chemical ocean threat to krill

Ocean acidification.

Direct industry threat to krill

Overfishing.

When did commercial krill harvesting begin?

In the 1970s.

Boom and bust fishing pattern

Stocks are repeatedly fished near to extinction and recover.

What does CCAMLR stand for?

Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

CCAMLR establishment year

1982.

CCAMLR's management approach

A holistic approach looking at the ecosystem as a whole.

Leading government in krill harvesting

Norway.

Stakeholder inequality in krill management

Mainly ACs are involved, excluding EDCs and LIDCs.

Estimated drop in krill stocks since the 1970s

As much as 80 percent.

Primary food source for krill

Algae on the underside of sea ice.

Current Total Allowable Catch for krill

620,000.

Primary location of krill fishing

Sheltered islands in the Antarctic.