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