In a written answer to a parliamentary question, the European Commission outlined its efforts to prevent the collapse of Antarctic krill populations, emphasising its advocacy within the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) for tighter catch distribution and marine protected areas. The answer, given by Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis on behalf of the Commission, signals the EU's commitment to protecting the keystone species despite stalled international negotiations.
The question was tabled on 23 March 2026 by 17 MEPs from The Left, Verts/ALE, and S&D groups, led by Emma Fourreau (The Left). They expressed alarm over the 620,000-tonne catch limit being reached for the first time in the 2024/2025 season, the failure of CCAMLR's November 2025 session to create new marine protected areas or renew catch distribution measures, and Norway's proposal to nearly double the catch limit.
Commissioner Kadis's response confirms that the EU has strongly advocated at the 44th CCAMLR annual meeting for the urgent reintroduction of a spatial and temporal distribution of the krill catch limit in the Antarctic Peninsula region, where catches are increasingly concentrated. The Commission also promotes regular biomass surveys, better data collection, and enhanced ecosystem monitoring, and supports harmonising the revised krill management approach with proposals for marine protected areas to safeguard key krill habitats and foraging grounds.
The answer does not commit to a moratorium or closure of krill fisheries, as requested by the MEPs. Instead, it reiterates that CCAMLR has generally kept the fishery at sustainable levels, citing the 620,000-tonne 'trigger' level representing about 1% of the estimated 60 million tonnes of unexploited biomass. The Commission's position reflects a preference for improved management within the existing CCAMLR framework rather than a radical halt to fishing.
Policy orientation and expected follow-up The answer reveals a moderate, incremental approach: the EU seeks to strengthen spatial management and data collection within CCAMLR, rather than pushing for a moratorium. The Commission's stance balances environmental protection with the interests of EU fishing operators active in the Southern Ocean. No specific legislative proposals or deadlines are announced; the EU will continue to press its case at future CCAMLR meetings. The next annual meeting in 2026 will be a key test of whether the EU can secure agreement on catch distribution and marine protected areas, especially given past vetoes by China and Russia.
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