Krill, Baby, Krill

The report argues that Antarctic krill fishing is unsustainable, threatening a fragile ecosystem already stressed by climate change. It highlights how the industry, dominated by Aker BioMarine, uses greenwashing and problematic certifications like the MSC to justify its operations. An investigation reveals that krill-oil supplements are widely sold by the world's largest retailers and krill meal is extensively used in European salmon aquaculture, often without consumer-facing labels or retailer policies to exclude it.

• Antarctic krill is a keystone species and a significant carbon sink, capable of removing up to 23 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere annually, which is equivalent to the emissions of 35 million cars.
• Climate change is severely impacting krill habitats; it is predicted that krill could lose 20–55% of their habitat by the end of the century, with young krill potentially losing up to 80%.
• Krill fishing is highly concentrated in small areas, which creates direct competition for food with key predators such as penguins and seals, exacerbating the effects of climate change.
• The krill industry is dominated by the Norwegian company Aker BioMarine, which took 65% of the catch in 2021 and is responsible for 80% of global krill oil production, despite reporting net losses nearly every year for the last decade.
• The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is criticized for outdated management and an inability to reach consensus on protective measures, such as marine protected areas (MPAs), due to opposition from China and Russia.
• The industry uses 'greenwashing' and self-created labels, such as Aker BioMarine's 'Eco-Harvesting' label, to portray the fishery as sustainable, while relying on MSC certification that ignores climate change and predator impacts.
• A survey of the 50 largest global retailers found that 68% sell krill-oil supplements, with the highest prevalence in North American (88%) and Asian (75%) markets.
• An investigation of 16 European retail chains in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK found that all are likely to sell salmon reared on feed containing krill, yet none have policies to exclude krill feed from their own brands.
• Major European salmon farmers including Bakkafrost, Cermaq, Grieg Seafood, Lerøy Seafood, and Norway Royal Salmon use krill meal, primarily sourced from Aker BioMarine via feed producers BioMar and Skretting.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2022). Krill, Baby, Krill. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-REPORT-LAYOUT-KRILL-BABY-KRILL-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Krill, Baby, Krill. 2022. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-REPORT-LAYOUT-KRILL-BABY-KRILL-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Krill, Baby, Krill |date=August 2022 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-REPORT-LAYOUT-KRILL-BABY-KRILL-FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2022krill, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Krill, Baby, Krill}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-REPORT-LAYOUT-KRILL-BABY-KRILL-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }