Krill

Patagonian toothfish a.k.a. Chilean Sea bass

Black-browed albatross

Not only are whales and seals abundant in the Antarctic region, but so are fish, krill and squid. Krill is the keystone species in the Antarctic food web because most other animals are reliant on them as a source of food. If levels of krill were to decline due to over fishing, it could have serious implications for the rest of the animals in the Antarctic system. Krill is currently used as food for farmed fish, feed for other animals and for human consumption. The current catch of krill is approximately 300,000 tonnes a year. Currently the krill industry is limited by the fact that the remote location in which they exist is very costly to get to and once removed from the water spoil very quickly.

Another fishery that has been in the news recently is that of the Patagonian toothfish. With a name like that, there was never much demand for it. Knowing that there were sizable stocks of the fish in the Southern Ocean, they changed the common name of the fish to Chilean Sea bass. When these fish flooded the market, they became very popular and demand increased. After several years of high rates of consumption, the toothfish fishery has almost collapsed. The fishery is managed by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and is highly regulated. Most of the fish that are on the market now come from pirate fishing vessels that are not permitted by CCAMLR. Another problem with the illegal fishery is that the method they use, longlining, is detrimental to seabirds. The boats put out miles of line with baited hooks attached, that often are near the surface. The birds try to eat the bait that is on the line, become hooked and end up drowning. CCAMLR’s Scientific Committee estimates that from 1997 to 2000, as many as 191,700 seabirds have been hooked and drowned as bycatch on pirate longlines in the CCAMLR jurisdiction alone. If these methods continue, not only will Patagonian toothfish be in jeopardy, but albatross and petrels will be as well. If Patagonian toothfish continue to be harvested, it is likely that the species will go extinct.
What you can do--> Do not eat Chilean Sea bass. There are also several other fisheries that in danger of collapsing. For more information, and a handy card that you can carry with you, visit http://www.audubon.org/campaign/lo/seafood/cards.html

Krill photo by S. Nicol © Copyright Australian Antarctic Division
Toothfish picture: http://www.environmentalaction.net/antarctica/toothfish/