Kategorie: News
Activists from the Captain Paul Watson Foundation disrupt krill trawlers
While in Germany the stranding of whales in the Baltic Sea highlights the vulnerability of marine habitats, on the other side of the world a bitter, often overlooked dispute is raging over Antarctica’s most important food source: krill.
The crew of the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, led by Lamya Essemlali, used the ship Bandero to confront an industrial krill trawler operated by Aker Qrill—the company that controls more than 60 percent of the catch quota.
Protecting the food source for whales, penguins, and seals
Krill is harvested directly from the feeding grounds of whales, seals, and penguins. An expansion of krill fishing therefore poses a serious threat to the Antarctic ecosystem. Krill is a fundamental keystone species and serves as the primary food source for the majority of marine life—without krill, the entire food chain would collapse.
For more than five hours, the Bandero disrupted the fishing operations of two factory ships, repeatedly interrupting their work. The activists deliberately blocked what they viewed as ecologically destructive practices to protect the central food source of the Antarctic Ocean. In the waters surrounding the action, the crew observed penguins, seals, and even a whale—a striking image in this David-versus-Goliath battle.
Time to act!
“Since 2018, environmentalists have documented and exposed this destruction year after year, but documentation alone has not stopped it,” said Captain Paul Watson. “At some point, you have to say: Enough is enough.” Watson emphasizes that the time for mere observation is over—now is the time to act.
Lamya Essemlali makes the urgency of the mission clear: “Krill fishing is an ecological time bomb. Nothing can justify targeting a keystone species on which the entire Antarctic ecosystem depends.” The mission relies on “aggressive nonviolence,” a tactic that aims for direct disruption without endangering human lives.
Industrial krill fishing is growing: Last season, 620,000 tons were caught, and Norway is advocating for an increase in the quota to up to 1.2 million tons. Krill is used in omega-3 supplements, aquaculture feed, farmed salmon, and pet food. Critics warn that industrial salmon farming, in particular, exacerbates negative impacts on wild populations and marine ecosystems due to its demand for krill.
“If you buy krill oil capsules, you are part of the problem. If you eat farmed salmon, you are complicit in stealing food from the mouths of whales, penguins, and seals,” warns the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.
Captain Paul Watson, who has previously been detained for interventions against illegal whaling in Greenland, has once again dispatched his crew to Antarctica. Tom Strerath of CPWF Germany summarizes the scale of the problem: “Last season, 620,000 tons of krill were caught in record time. Roughly estimated, that’s over 300 billion to 600 billion animals. This is completely unacceptable, not only ecologically but also ethically.”
Further information:
Campaign website: www.cpwf.de/operation-krill-wars
Social media: www.linktr.ee/cpwfde