Sustainability is core

Bringing down carbon footprint

Among all the benefits of krill inclusion in feed, is low environmental impact one of the most important. By including krill in aqua feed composition, the environmental impact of fish/shrimp can be reduced. This is important, as the composition of aquaculture feed is the single most important input contributing to the carbon footprint of aquaculture products, such as farmed salmon. To unleash the full potential of aquaculture in the decades ahead, advances and innovations in aquaculture feed is a key depending factor. Ensuring enough capacity of new raw materials with low environmental footprints, identifying the most sustainable, low-impact compositions, will require a palette of different solutions. Krill is one of them

ABIO0046_aquaSustainability-05 (1)
Krill meal tiny png (1)

Resource scarcity and need for more marine ingredients

Sixty percent of global fish stocks are either overfished or fished to their capacity. To ensure sustainable growth in aquaculture, a shift away from overfished marine ingredients is essential.

QRILL Aqua is a reliably and sustainably sourced marine ingredient, best used to promote faster growth and enhance the health and quality of farmed marine species. Krill serves as an enabler, allowing us to do more with less.

Carbon footprint of our products

Marine ingredients, such as krill, in feed formulas help reduce the carbon footprint of farmed seafood.

Aker QRILL Company has conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of our products, demonstrating the superior environmental benefits of our krill-based feed formulas. Additionally, we are continuously working to minimize our environmental impact across our entire value chain in collaboration with our partners. For example, we are committed to further reducing emissions from our modern, energy-efficient vessels, processing plants, and logistics operations.

image 23 (1)

The sustainability of krill fishery 

Krill is one of the most abundant species on Earth. Positioned at the bottom of the food chain, krill feed on plankton, resulting in very low levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. Since 2006, Aker QRILL Company has been developing the harvesting and processing of krill from the Antarctic Southern Ocean’s Area 48 (Antarctic Peninsula) into high-quality aquaculture feed ingredients.

 

The krill fishery is managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in a precautionary and ecosystem-based manner. The catch limit for Antarctic krill is set at less than 1% of the estimated biomass of 63 million metric tons in Area 48. Catches are divided into four subareas and are closely monitored by CCAMLR. In collaboration with scientists and NGOs, Aker QRILL Company has implemented voluntary industry measures, such as maintaining restricted zones, ensuring that harvesting remains at least 30–40 kilometers away from penguin colonies during the breeding season.

 

Aker QRILL Company makes significant contributions to Antarctic research each year, including acoustic biomass monitoring for CCAMLR. Additionally, the company funds the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR), which is administered by a board comprising Aker QRILL Company and NGO representatives. AWR facilitates and promotes independent research on the Antarctic ecosystem based on recommendations from a scientific advisory group. The fund was established to support a resilient Antarctica and to address knowledge gaps in the ecosystem. Since its inception in 2015, AWR has funded approximately $1 million in scientific projects.