Final Human Intelligence Test Looms - How Will We Handle Antarctic Krill Fishery? Guardian

[hatrack]

SINGAPORE, May 25 (Reuters) - In the global rush for resources, a tiny pink crustacean living in the seas around Antarctica is testing man's ability to manage one of the world's last great fisheries without damaging the environment. Krill, which grow to about 6 cm (2 inches), occur in vast schools and is the major source of food for whales, seals, penguins and sea birds. Without it, scientists say, the ecosystem in and around Antarctica could collapse.

But krill is rich in oil brimming in omega-3 fatty acids that Norwegian and Canadian companies sell in pills. The crustaceans are also harvested for special enzymes that can be used by surgeons to clean wounds, even to clean contact lenses. And the pinkish remains after processing can be used as fish meal, for example to give salmon flesh a richer pink colour.

So far, difficulties in processing krill on ships, high fuel prices and the expense of sending fleets to the bottom of the globe has kept a lid on annual catches, which remain far below levels set under a treaty governing Antarctic marine life. But the economic equation is changing fast, scientists and fishery regulators say because of soaring food prices, falling global fish stocks and better ship-based processing technology. Within five years, the annual krill catch could jump from just over 100,000 tonnes to several million tonnes.

"The potential of the krill story is that the competition for protein of whatever form is becoming more and more acute," said Denzil Miller, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), based in Hobart in southern Australia.
"I think in the next two to three years we are going to see a lot of changes in the way governments and the international community addresses problems of expectation around food security," he said.

EDIT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7538859

I'll be bold and post my prediction for how we'll manage this fishery - we'll FUCK IT UP.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Won't do the penguins much good either

x(

[eppur_se_muova]

2. "Fishing down the food chain" continues to its ultimate conclusion. nt

[Dead_Parrot]

3. Human Intelligence Test?

Oh, Shit.

[pscot]

4. Nothing personsal.

It's strictly business. You understand.

[XemaSab]

5. I, for one, welcome our new krill overlords

:patriot:

[NickB79]

6. Think about the seive size needed to net krill

NOTHING will be able to escape these nets if they're designed to capture billions of inch-long crustaceans. The by-catch will be immense.

THERE IS NO WAY TO FISH FOR KRILL IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY!!!

We are looking at a veritable strip-mining of the Antarctic Ocean here. Heaven help us all.

[tom_paine]

7. Talking monkeys hungry. Talking monkeys running out of big fish.

Talking monkeys do what comes naturaly. Talking monkeys eat all small fish.

Artic melts. Some see it as tragedy. Talking Monkeys see it as opportunity. Now talking monkeys can get at all that oil and methane under Artic.

Endorphins then release into Talking Monkey Brains. Feels good. Let's eat. Let's drill.

===========================================================================================

It is quite obvious what the Human Race will do. It's also quite obvious (I would rate it as a 99% chance over the long haul of history) that if energy supplies dwindle sufficiently, suddenly the "world" (i.e the 0.05% of humanity that rules us and continues to rule us, and always has ruled us but for the briefest periods as exceptions) will find that slavery wasn't so bad, after all.

You'll see, though I suspect that the return of this most human of innvoations won't come 'round until long after I am dead.



:rofl: :rofl:

As always, "faster than expected".

:rofl: