Sea Shepherd Returns to Antarctic to Raise Awareness about Krill
Sea Shepherd Global has launched its 2026 Operation Antarctica Defense campaign following the departure of the M/Y Allankay from Ushuaia in Argentina.
Last season, the industrial krill fishery reached its seasonal catch limit early for the first time, triggering an unprecedented early closure. This extraordinary development highlights the escalating pressure on krill populations and the Antarctic ecosystem already destabilized by climate change, says Sea Shepherd.
Industrial krill super trawlers operate primarily in an area between the South Orkney Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula region, an area scientists describe as one of the most important whale feeding grounds in the world, and a proposed marine protected area (MPA).
Krill — small, shrimp-like crustaceans — are the foundation of the Antarctic food web. Whales, penguins, seals, and seabirds rely on krill as their primary food source. Without sufficient krill, these species cannot feed, reproduce, or properly recover from past population declines.
Sea Shepherd has already reported krill super trawlers hauling nets in the midst of feeding whales, with whale blows and flukes visible alongside active fishing operations.
The crew also observed vessels conducting refuelling and transshipment operations at sea, practices that allow fleets to maximize time on the fishing grounds rather than returning to port. This risks a fuel spill or pollution incident in remote waters.
Operation Antarctica Defense 2026 will focus on three objectives:
• Raising global awareness of the krill crisis by documenting krill super trawlers in Antarctic waters and enabling independent news reporting aboard the Allankay;
• Facilitating independent scientific research by hosting leading scientists to collect on-the-water data addressing critical knowledge gaps;
• Increasing economic pressure on the krill industry by encouraging retailers to discontinue the sale of krill oil supplements and other consumer products linked to Antarctic extraction.
Independent scientists onboard will conduct line-transect surveys, drone-based measurements of distances between whales and super trawlers, acoustic monitoring, and photo identification research. The goal is to generate multi-year, peer-reviewed data on whale presence and behavior in areas where the industrial krill fleet operates.
These research outputs are expected to inform future decision-making at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the international body responsible for managing fisheries in the Southern Ocean.
CCAMLR has not yet established long-proposed Marine Protected Areas in the Antarctic Peninsula region, and a previous requirement to distribute krill catches more broadly across the region was not renewed in 2024, allowing fishing effort to become more geographically concentrated.
“Most people assume Antarctica is untouched. In reality, industrial extraction is increasing in key wildlife feeding grounds. This campaign is critical to document what is happening, support independent science, and ensure policymakers and the public understand what is at stake,” said Peter Hammarstedt, Campaign Director for Sea Shepherd Global.