Krill News/Media Resources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2007

CONTACT:
Dave Bard
202.486.4426 (c)

Statement of Clifton Curtis, director, Antarctic Krill Conservation Project, on the start of the International Polar Year

Washington, D.C. - The International Polar Year is a large scientific program, organized through the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization, that focuses on Antarctic and Arctic research. Thousands of scientists from more than 60 countries will spend the next two years studying biological, physical and social issues impacting both polar regions.

"It's definitely the year of the penguin. Just last night, these birds danced their way to an Academy Award. Today, the International Polar Year begins. This global scientific program offers the most significant opportunity to break new ground and help ensure that penguins and krill, the food they rely upon most, always remain part of Antarctica's future.

"Although they're not much larger than shrimp, krill play a central role in the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Hundreds of species, including seals, penguins, albatrosses, petrels and whales, depend upon these tiny crustaceans for their survival. Remove this one vital link and the entire food web collapses.

"In the Antarctic, krill are not currently overfished, but troublesome signs loom on the horizon. Overexploitation, global warming and other ecosystem-related changes threaten the future of krill and the animals that prey upon them.

"The International Polar Year will hopefully create a heightened sense of urgency for Antarctic research and conservation as the president and Congress develop next fiscal year's budget. The administration has already requested increased funding for Antarctic research, which is currently underfunded. Their proposed increase falls far short of what's required. Congress must push for additional funding to ensure that critical Antarctic and Arctic research will not be sidelined. Without this support, scientists won't be able to analyze key data on predator-prey relationships, assess Antarctic krill stocks or continue critical ecosystem research."

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Background

• Krill, tiny shrimp-like crustaceans, are the "bread and butter" for the entire Southern Ocean ecosystem. But global warming threatens their future and hundreds of species that prey on them. Melting sea ice means reduced krill habitat, spawning and nursery areas. Increasing demand for krill and its byproducts, as well as more efficient catch and processing technologies, also contribute to mounting pressure for conservation-related reforms.



• The Antarctic Krill Conservation Project is a growing network of organizations working together to promote krill conservation. The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the National Environmental Trust comprise the core institutional partners for the project.

Read more information on krill, pressures on krill abundance and needed reforms.