The two major Australian supermarkets, Woolworths and Coles, have announced they no longer sell krill oil supplements in their stores. This comes on top of a long-running campaign by environmental groups to end the sale of these products, which are sourced unsustainably from Antarctica.
Growing awareness of the impact of industrial krill fishing has brought together 30 conservation organisations and independent experts to sign an open letter today to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The letter raises concerns about the FAO’s 2026 State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture report, which described the Antarctic areas as a ‘global benchmark for precautionary ecosystem-based fisheries management’.
“We’re glad to hear that Coles and Woolworths aren’t stocking krill oil products on their shelves. This is positive news for Antarctica and the wildlife that call it home. We hope to see further commitment from both supermarket giants that this is the end of all krill oil sales, for good. With retailers of this size making this move, it’s a sign to brands like Swisse that supporting the destruction of the Antarctic ecosystem is losing momentum, and sustainable options should take centre stage,” said Briony Venn, Bob Brown Foundation Antarctic and Marine Campaign Organiser.
“Giant supertrawlers hauling krill straight from the mouths of whales, penguins and seals are damaging the very foundation of the Antarctic food web. Krill is critical not only as a food source, but as a carbon sink regulating our climate. This industrial fishery needs to stop, at a time when Antarctica is suffering on the frontline of climate change.”
“We, along with conservation organisations and scientists across the globe, have today expressed deep concern at how the UN FAO reach their conclusions on so-called ‘sustainable’ fishing. Our open letter provides comprehensive evidence to demonstrate the flaws in their methodology, and paints a clear picture of the real state of play in Antarctica & the Southern Ocean: an ecosystem struggling under climate pressure that needs to be left alone to recover. No 150-metre super trawler can claim to be sustainable,” said Briony Venn.
Open letter here:
https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/the_modern_reality_of_antarctic_fishing/
