There are at least six commercial fisheries currently
harvesting six different species of euphausiids, or krill. Most of these
fisheries have been operating for over 20 years, but very little information is
generally available on these fisheries other than on that for Antarctic krill.
This report summarizes information from a number of sources on the fisheries for
and biology of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba); North Pacific krill
(Euphausia pacifica), which is fished off Japan and off western Canada;
Euphausia nana, fished off the coast of Japan; Thysanoessa inermis,
fished off the coast of Japan and off eastern Canada; and Thysanoessa
raschii and Meganyctiphanes norvegica, fished off eastern Canada.
Information is also presented for Nyctiphanes australis, for which a
fishery has been proposed off southeastern Australia. The products of krill
fisheries are currently mainly used for the aquaculture and sport fishing
market, but considerable effort has also been put into developing products for
human consumption, particularly from Antarctic krill. An increase in the use of
krill as an aquaculture feed is likely, but this will be accompanied by
developments in biotechnological and pharmaceutical products as well as improved
food products. The current world catch of all species of krill is approximately
160 000 tonnes, but few fisheries are being exploited to their maximum
potential. The world krill harvest is currently limited by lack of demand, but
some fisheries are deliberately managed at low levels because of concerns over
the effects of harvesting krill on other elements of the marine ecosystem.
Because of the central ecological role of krill in many marine ecosystems, the
subject of krill harvesting is a sensitive issue and krill fisheries require
careful management. This requirement has spawned an innovative international
management regime in the Antarctic, the Commission for the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which has developed procedures for
managing the harvest of Antarctic krill which may be applicable to other
fisheries.
