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

  • 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.

  • The end of the Great Barrier Reef ?

    Ecology, Economy – 3 chapters

    The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is known as one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders. Despite its size, its very existence is threatened by environmental, touristic, industrial and commercial aggressions. Will we allow its beauty to become a mere memory ? OCEAN71 Magazine investigates.

  • Gallery The ruins of Jazira Al Hamra © Philippe Henry / OCEAN71 Magazine

    Red Island’s mysterious village

    Culture, Economy – 1 chapter

    The United Arab Emirates is well known for its passion for extravagant skyscrapers and constructions, its exuberance and its financial power thanks to oil and gas. The emirs even try to conceal their relatively poor nomadic tribes’ history. Along the coast, we managed to find one of the last old villages of fishermen, abandoned. It is said to be haunted…