OCEAN71
Menu

Ecology, Economy

The Antarctic krill new predators

Show on Google Maps

The Antarctic krill is the largest biomass on earth. It is the food basis for most of the animals living on the white continent. For the past five years, new hunters have appeared. A dozen of factory fishing boats travel to the far side of the planet to quietly capture what could become a gold mine.

File summary

  1. A Chinese fishing boat sinks in Antarctica
  2. A tiny crustacean that could change the world
  3. A nature reserve, well almost...
  4. Is krill the future of aquaculture ?
  5. A "sustainable" industry ?

A Chinese fishing boat sinks in Antarctica

On the 21st of April 2013, the Kai Xin, a 104m Chinese fishing boat, ablaze for four days, sank along the Antarctic coast. Blink and you would have missed this news snippet!

The Chinese krill fishing boat the Kai Xin that sunk along the coast of Antarctica © Chilean Air Force

A Norwegian fishing boat rescued the 97 crewmembers and the Chilean authorities told the media that there was no fuel leak and that the situation was under control. No environmental disaster: no international media headlines.

 

But the obvious question was not asked…

 

What was a 100m fishing boat with almost a 100 crew doing in this part of the Antarctic Ocean?

 

The Kai Xin was one of thirteen 100m-factory ships that hail from Chilli, China, South Korea, Norway, Poland and the Ukraine – all attracted by the same high value commodity: the Antarctic krill.

Other files

  • Video

    ORIKUM’S MYSTERIES

    Culture – 4 chapters

    Following a crew of Swiss and Albanian archaeologists, OCEAN71 Magazine went back to the antique village of Orikum, in Albania. This long-abandoned small port was a key location in Julius Caesar’s rise to absolute power. It’s not surprising that the scientists are amazed by the local discoveries. In this second season, the archaeologists will attempt to unravel the mysteries of this unique excavation site.

  • The Sargasso Conquest

    Ecology – 5 chapters

    What on earth is this strange sea, that doesn’t have a shoreline, and has intrigued most navigators that have sailed through its waters? Christopher Columbus was the first to cross it on his way to America. The Sargasso Sea, that stretches in the North Atlantic, is a calm, windless and waveless zone, often hard to get through. Its name comes from the floating seaweed that covers the water like a carpet. OCEAN71 takes you on a journey to discover this strange surface that has been puzzling many people through the centuries.

  • Procida, pearl of the Med

    Culture, Economy – 3 chapters

    Although Capri and Ischia islands are its closest neighbours, little Procida is an exception. Nested in a small blue corner of the Mediterranean sea near Naples, this beautiful rock could have mimic all the others by living thanks to mass tourism revenue. But for Procida, the story is entirely different.