Krill bycatch data study reports positive findings

A recently published study by Bjørn A. Krafft, Andrew Lowther and Ludvig A. Krag on bycatch rates in the Antarctic krill fishery has reported encouraging findings. This research marks the first comprehensive data analysis from different fishing areas and throughout fishing seasons. 

The study revealed that the Antarctic krill fishery has one of the lowest bycatch rates worldwide, with bycatch rates ranging between 0.1 to 2.2%. This finding is in stark contrast with other trawl fisheries, which typically range from 10 to 55 percent.

The study focused on the fishing seasons from 2010 to 2020 in the southwest Atlantic section of the Southern Ocean, specifically in Subareas 48.1, 48.2 and 48.3. The annual fishing effort averaged 4 591 hauls and an average of 20 percent observer coverage. 

Across all three areas, bycatch was predominantly fish, followed by tunicates and other crustaceans. The study also highlighted the high observer coverage in bycatch sampling.

Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12607