02/05/2026
👉 On 29 April, the European Parliament proposed a five year moratorium on krill fisheries in the Southern Ocean.
Members also expressed concern over the growth and concentration of krill fishing in Antarctic waters, emphasizing the increasing threat this industry poses to the Antarctic ecosystem. 🐋
This follows revelations by Sea Shepherd over the past four years, exposing how industrial krill fishing overlaps with some of the most important feeding grounds for whales, penguins, seals, and other Antarctic wildlife. We welcome this growing political acknowledgment of the crisis unfolding in the Southern Ocean.
While this decision is not legally binding, it carries significant political weight. The European Union accounts for about one third of the members at CCAMLR, the body responsible for managing Antarctic marine life.
This vote shows a growing recognition that the current path is unsustainable, and that precaution must come before exploitation.
Market forces are already moving towards more sustainable alternatives to krill. A moratorium would provide an additional driver, encouraging that transition in a timely and necessary way.
Krill is the foundation of life in Antarctica. Whales, seals, penguins, and countless other species depend on it. When krill is under pressure, the entire ecosystem is at risk.
Sea Shepherd welcomes a moratorium as a bridge to a permanent end to industrial krill fishing.
Now, this political momentum must translate into real protection at sea.
Antarctica cannot wait.