| dc.description.abstract | Small scaled Russian exploratory fishing for krill in the Southern Ocean began in the late
1960s. During the 1970s the fisheries increased and annual catches of krill have exhibited a
number of fluctuations since the beginning of commercial harvesting. Some of these changes
have resulted from developments in technology and products whilst others have their origins
in global economics and politics. The largest catches were reported in season 1981-1982 with
more than 500 000 tonnes. Since 1989, the catches have been on a much lower level. The
current krill fishery starts in December and ends usually in August-September. Although krill
fishing is permitted in many parts of the Southern Ocean, the current fishery is concentrated
around the South Shetland Islands and Bransfield Strait, the South Orkneys and South
Georgia. These areas are located in CCAMLR (Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic
Marine Living resources) statistical subareas 48.1 to 48.3. Norway participated with three
vessels in the 2014/15 season and landed 146,968 tonnes, followed by China with 35,427
tonnes and South Korea with 23,342 tonnes. In total, 225,465 tonnes were fished this season.
Products mainly produced from krill include meal and oil, which in turn goes to the feed,
food supplements, cosmetics and medicine industries. | nb_NO |
