Ukrainian enterprises bring in good catch of fish as krill populations are declining

According to Yaroslav Belov, head of the State Fisheries Agency of Ukraine, the fisheries sector is gradually moving towards stability, increasing a catch of fish, as well as other sea and river creatures. More than 4,000 Ukrainian enterprises engaged in fishing in 2017.

Last year Ukrainian fisheries enterprises brought in a good catch totaling 94,200 tons of aquatic bioresources, which was 6.6% more than in 2016. Specifically, the catch rose by 13.7% to 37,500 tons in the Sea of Azov, 6.1% to 5,200 tons in the Black Sea and 13.1% to 19,500 tons in inland waters. At the same time, the catch of Antarctic krill increased by 8.1% to 7,900 tons.

However, The Guardian notes that industrial fishing for krill in the pristine waters around Antarctica is threatening the future of one of the world’s last great wildernesses. A study warned that the penguin population could drop by almost one-third by the end of the century due to changes in krill biomass.

Krill are a key part of the delicate Antarctic food chain. They feed on marine algae and are a key source of food for whales, penguins and seals. They are also important in removing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by eating carbon-rich food near the surface and excreting it when they sink to lower, colder water. A recent analysis of the global krill industry predicted it was on course to grow 12% a year over the next three years.

Krill populations have declined by 80% since the 1970s. Global warming has been blamed partly because the ice that is home to the algae and plankton on which krill feed is retreating.