Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the Government is working with international partners to ensure that the wildlife in the Antarctic region is protected from expanding krill fisheries.

The UK is a proactive member of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) which is responsible for developing and implementing measures for the conservation of marine life in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.

Krill harvesting is managed in a precautionary manner based on robust scientific data. The current annual catch is around 0.3 percent of the unexploited biomass of the krill population in this region, ensuring there is a healthy breeding population and enough for predators such as penguins and whales.

UK scientists have been working with other CCAMLR Members to assess any wider ecosystem impacts from krill harvesting, and have encouraged the Association of Responsible Krill (ARK) fishing companies to request their member vessels avoid fishing near biologically sensitive areas, such as penguin breeding colonies.