WASHINGTON — The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) has formally objected to the decision by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to re-certify the Antarctic krill fishery as sustainable, citing mounting industrial fishing pressure and accelerating climate-driven disruption across the Southern Ocean.

Photo: MSC

The objection, submitted on March 2, initiates an independent legal adjudication process that will unfold over the coming months. If successful, the challenge could lead to changes in the fishery’s certification status or the imposition of new safeguards to protect krill stocks and the broader Antarctic ecosystem.

“Our objection is about ensuring that the environmental impacts of the krill fishery have been accurately assessed,” said Claire Christian, Executive Director of ASOC. “We don’t believe the assessment fully analyzed the unique realities and risks of operating in one of the most climate-sensitive ecosystems on Earth.”

Industrial Demand Driving Expansion

Global demand for krill has surged in recent years, largely fueled by the aquaculture industry’s search for alternative protein sources as wild fish stocks decline.

Norwegian company Aker QRILL currently accounts for approximately 60% of the total krill harvest, primarily processing the catch into feed for farm-raised salmon. Smaller operators from Chile and South Korea also fish under the MSC sustainability label.

Quota Overrun and Early Closure Raise Red Flags

Last year marked a historic turning point for the fishery. For the first time ever, the krill fishery exceeded its quota and was forced to close three months early. The shutdown followed the expiration of a spatial management rule governing fishing activity around the Antarctic Peninsula, a region home to roughly one-third of the species’ global population.

Photo: MSC. Click on the image to enlarge it

With that rule no longer in effect, vessels increasingly concentrated fishing activity in a relatively small and ecologically critical zone — one that serves as a feeding ground for whales, seals, penguins, and other marine wildlife.

In Subarea 48.1, a region essential for penguins and feeding humpback whales, fishing effort surged by 118% during the last season.

Climate Change Compounding the Crisis

Environmental groups argue that climate change is rapidly undermining traditional fishery management assumptions.

Since the 1970s, krill biomass has declined by an estimated 70–80% in parts of the Southern Ocean. Record-low sea ice levels and projected habitat contraction further weaken confidence in catch limits based on historic biomass data.

Subarea 48.1 candidate management strata. The strata were shaded and labelled according to the number of acoustic  surveys conducted in each stratum from all available years 1996–2020. EI: Elephant Island, JOIN: Joinville, BS: Bransfield Strait, SSIW: South Shetland Islands West, GS: Gerlache Strait, DP: Drake Passage, PB: Powell Basin. Source: SC-CAMLR-41, Annex 5. Despite these concerns, the MSC emphasizes that the fishery removes less than 1% of the total estimated krill biomass — a statistic critics describe as misleading. Photo: MSC

According to ASOC, biomass estimates are derived from sparse and infrequent surveys that fail to capture fast-moving, climate-driven population changes. They argue that risk is not evenly distributed across the ocean: even relatively small catches can harm predators when fishing is concentrated in krill-dependent hotspots.

Systemic Management Concerns

The objection outlines multiple structural issues within the fishery’s management system:

• The shared “Olympic” quota system incentivizes rapid harvesting and intensifies localized pressure.

• Five-day reporting delays undermine claims of “real-time” monitoring and contributed to last season’s quota overrun.

• Incomplete independent observer coverage limits verification of ecosystem impacts.

• Voluntary penguin protection zones have displaced fishing effort rather than reducing overall pressure.

• Early closures, critics argue, reflect reactive management — not precautionary success.

Photo: ASOC

Additionally, proposals for science-based marine protected areas (MPAs) remain stalled within the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), while krill extraction continues under existing frameworks.

WWF Calls for Immediate Moratorium

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) also filed an objection to the recertification decision.

“Antarctic krill are the powerhouse of the Southern Ocean,” said Rhona Kent, Polar Oceans Programme Manager at WWF-UK. “Mismanagement of the krill fishery is having a major negative impact on species that depend on krill, such as whales. We are calling for an immediate moratorium on krill fishing and a review of the sustainability certification until more precautionary fisheries management measures are agreed by CCAMLR.”

A Keystone Species Under Pressure

Antarctic krill form the foundation of the Southern Ocean food web, sustaining whales, penguins, seals, seabirds, and fish. Beyond their ecological role, krill play a significant function in the global climate system by transporting vast quantities of carbon to the deep ocean.

Image: AKer Qrill Company

“MSC claims that its label only applies to fisheries with high environmental standards,” said Christian. “This case highlights a clear mismatch between certification and the contemporary reality of the Antarctic krill fishery.”

As the adjudication process proceeds, environmental advocates argue that the outcome could shape not only the future of krill fishing but also the credibility of global sustainability certification systems in an era of accelerating climate change.