Taking E.F. Schumacher’s 1973 Book “Small is Beautiful”, how much of it applies to the Antarctic Krill Fishery?
This is a question addressed on SeafoodSource’s June 19th article about new vessels China brings into the Antarctic krill fishery, as a matter of fact, how all other operators face this same question.
Tharos has longed argued that, independently on trawlers size and their ability to capture what they say they will capture, their financial health should also be measured by their on-board processing model, their carbon and environmental footprint, and their value chain complexity. And of course by what historical logbooks have to say about catch effort reality.
As discussed on the SeafoodSource’s article, the ability to capture and process around 1,000 tons per day of raw fresh krill has to be balanced with a sound on-board process efficiency, and the biomass ability to sustain such catch effort.
Such business models rely on large dried krill meal volumes manufactured at-sea, to later extract the oil from it on land using solvents. Recent publications about solvent-contaminated krill oils recalled in South Korea challenges that. And consumers are getting more and more concerned about how their food and supplements were manufactured, how safe they are, a clean label, and traced back to its origin
When a valuable food or pharma product such as krill oil has to go through a lengthy value chain, from raw krill to dried meal processed at-sea, transported lengthy distances to reach an on-land factory for the oil to be extracted with solvents, is a case of its own.
We have addressed the question about the best strategy to address the krill oil industry. Please join us and read our reports section where this and many other relevant matters of the krill industry have been researched.
We help all industry stakeholders to learn more about this beautiful industry. How to get fresh, clean, un-polluted krill oils. Why cutting in half the value chain is so important. How to significantly cut prices that go straight to consumer’s pockets, and much more. Talk to us, send your comments to tharos@tharos.biz.
