The Krill-Oil Ecological Disaster Myth … And Why It Is Wrong
The Krill-Oil Ecological Disaster Myth And Why It Is Wrong
Ask almost anyone who has heard of Antarctic krill or krill oil, and they are likely to say something like, "Isn't that the stuff that whales eat? I heard that was not good to buy that because the whales won't have anything to eat anymore."
In this age in which everyone on the Internet claims to be an expert on everything, it shouldn't surprise you that rumor and innuendo abounds. It takes effort to dig your way through the garbage to come up with a semblance of the truth.
Even someone at Whole Foods fell prey to this when they recently pulled krill-oil supplements from the store shelves. Even after repeated requests from journalists and trade organizations to reveal the documents or research behind the company's decision, Whole Foods has remained silent.
And probably for good reason, because the documentation just isn't there.
What is the truth about the krill fishery?
In previous blogs and articles, I have interviewed scientists from some of the world's leading marine ecology organizations, and they concur that, in fact, the Antarctic krill fishery is among the best managed in the world, and that krill oil is sustainable.
So what, you say, isn't that still taking food out of the mouths of our friends the whales? Well, yes, it is, but this is sort of like accusing the ants who carry off the crumbs from your picnic table are threatening your food supply.
First, let me explain "trigger limits?" These are the limits the scientists have determined that, when reached, will signal time to suspend krill fishing for the season. Krill are so important to the many species that feed on them in the Antarctic, everyone decided to err on the side of caution due to unknown factors that could conceivably threaten their sustainability, such as global warming. These "trigger limits" were set significantly lower than the scientists originally determined were sustainable. Why? Because the treaty countries that set the fishing limits figured by setting the trigger limits lower than even what they considered to be safe limits before, they could be assured of sustainably harvesting krill.
Now, take a look at this chart, compiled from information freely available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the federal agency that is focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere.
This illustrates the total amount of krill that is presently being harvested (way below the precautionary "trigger limit"), and how much of that total is being used in supplements. Makes it pretty clear that not buying or stocking krill oil on your shelves would not make a whit of difference, doesn't it? Now let's see what that amount looks like even if the "trigger limit" was eventually reached.
An abundance of precaution
Please notice that this ultra-careful "trigger limit" is 630,000 metric tons, and that the current total harvest is less that one-third that amount. And of that amount, only 2,000 metric tons are being harvested for use in krill-oil supplements. The rest is all being used to feed salmon in fish farms (krill contains astaxanthin, which when eaten gives salmon their reddish color) and in pet food.
Well, you ask, what happens if demand for krill oil takes off and companies start fishing like crazy for the little crustaceans? Fishing for krill is a very risky and expensive proposition. The current fleet, consisting of a mere nine ships, would have to triple in size in order to harvest this quantity of krill. Meanwhile, by next season all the ships in the fishery will have scientific observers to assess more accurately what's going on.
So regardless of Whole Food Market's ill-conceived decision, for the foreseeable future you can take krill oil without fear of contributing to an ecological disaster in the Antarctic.
Myth ... you're busted.
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