Sea Shepherd Returns to Antarctica to Save Whales by Protecting Krill

[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]

Efforts Intensify After Setback in Establishing Antarctic Marine Protected Area

November 26, 2024

At the beginning of next year, the Sea Shepherd ship Allankay will return to the Southern Ocean to intensify its efforts to defend the region from the destructive krill fishery. This decision follows the unsuccessful attempt to establish a new marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica at the latest meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)-the intergovernmental body responsible for Antarctica's environmental protection. This setback underscores the urgent need for direct action in krill conservation.

Imagery from Sea Shepherd's 2024 Expedition to Antarctica

Krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans, form the foundation of the Antarctic food web, serving as the primary source of calories for baleen whales, penguins, seals, and seabirds. However, this keystone species is being targeted by an industrialized fishing fleet that has recently expanded to fourteen supertrawlers, each one dragging nets large enough to engulf a jumbo jet. The krill are netted to produce Omega-3 health supplements, for which alternatives exist, and a fish feed additive that turns the flesh of farmed salmon pink for aesthetic reasons.

In recent years, the international scientific community has sounded the alarm that the krill supertrawlers are increasingly coming into conflict with marine wildlife, particularly whales.

In 2023, the crew aboard Allankay captured startling footage revealing the fleet's invasive trawling through megapods of feeding whales. This crucial evidence played a significant role in CCAMLR's decision not to increase the krill quota, despite the fishing industry's efforts to have it doubled.

At the October meeting of CCAMLR, photographic evidence obtained by fisheries observers working on board two Norwegian and one Chilean supertrawler was presented to show that at least three whales were killed through fishing gear entanglement last year.

And yet, at that same meeting, a proposal to create an MPA in the heart of the whale and krill conflict zone was blocked by two out of the 27 members of CCAMLR. Under CCAMLR rules, conservation measures can only be adopted by unanimous consensus.

For this next campaign, the crew onboard the Allankay will physically track and shadow the krill supertrawler fleet, focusing particularly on their impact on marine wildlife in proposed MPAs. They will be joined by world-renowned whale and krill experts whose data collection can help bolster the case for the creation of the Antarctic Peninsula MPA.

"In past years, Sea Shepherd has shined a spotlight on the krill supertrawler fleet exposing the horrific reality of the industrialized krill fisheries and their impact on whales. We've documented supertrawlers plowing mercilessly through megapods of hundreds of whales who were feeding on krill. To rally the call for this area to be put aside for wildlife, we will be bringing some of the world's preeminent krill and whale scientists to the scene of this growing wildlife conflict," said Pritam Singh, President of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

After a year of mapping out the krill supply chain, Sea Shepherd's efforts at sea will be supported by land-based markets campaigns targeting the public face of the krill fishery-the companies that sell krill products-drawing a direct connection between the products that those companies sell and the impact of those business choices on whales in the Antarctic.

"We are upping our efforts to protect krill by opening new battle fronts to stop the exploitation of marine wildlife. We will be hounding the krill supertrawlers with our cameras, exposing their destructive fishing activity. We will be combating disinformation by the fishing industry with science. And because the companies behind the fishing trawlers are largely faceless, we'll be going after the companies that sell krill products, tackling the issue from every angle," said Alex Cornelissen, Sea Shepherd Global CEO.

The 2025 campaign to the Southern Ocean sees Sea Shepherd Global partnering and co-leading the expedition with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Recognizing that the protection of Antarctica and its marine ecosystem affects us all, the mission is also supported by Sea Shepherd Germany, Sea Shepherd Switzerland, and all countries that are part of the global movement.

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