Antarctic whales are rebounding, but krill fishing could threaten the comeback

Whale populations in the Southern Ocean have recovered significantly since the global commercial whaling ban took effect in the early 1980s, but scientists warn that expanding industrial krill fishing now threatens that recovery. The krill fishing fleet reached its 620,000-ton seasonal catch limit for the second consecutive year, closing operations earlier than in the past. Marine scientist Matthew Savoca said the accelerating pace shows "our efficiency in being able to extract krill quickly is increasing."

The conflict comes down to competition for the same resource: krill is the primary food source for many whale species, yet the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which manages Southern Ocean fishing, was established when whale populations were still decimated by whaling and rarely factored whales into its management plans. Researchers studying the South Orkney Islands have documented unprecedented whale aggregations, including three whale species, fin, humpback, and southern right whales, feeding cooperatively in the same waters where fishing vessels now operate, behavior scientists say has never been filmed anywhere else.

Climate change is compounding the pressure: warming waters are melting the sea ice that juvenile krill depend on for shelter and food, shrinking suitable krill habitat even as fishing intensifies. Scientists are calling for science-based fishing regulations that account for recovering whale populations, alongside protected no-fishing zones similar to national parks on land.

Based on reporting by Teresa Tomassoni for Inside Climate News. Read the original: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17092026/antarctica-krill-fishing-threatens-whales/