Antarctic krill are tiny, little-known crustaceans that serve as the "bread and butter" for hundreds of species. For many marine mammals and seabirds, from the blue whale to the albatross, krill are by far the most important food in their diet.
Encompassing more than 80 species of open-ocean creatures scientifically classified as Euphausiids, Antarctic krill are about 2 ½ inches long (6 centimeters) and weigh 0.07 ounces or roughly two grams. Yet these little creatures are distinctive on several scores. Krill are one of the world's most abundant multi-celled animals, producers of the most powerful enzymes yet discovered to break down proteins, and collectively thought to be one of the largest aggregations of marine life on the planet.
In the water, krill have an exotic appearance, with a translucent, reddish shell and large black eyes. Krill spend most of their 5-7 year life span in huge schools or "swarms," living in concentrations so dense and vast that they cover kilometers in every direction with as many as 30,000 krill per cubic meter. Estimates of the total weight of Antarctic krill range from 50 to 500 million metric tonnes.
Why Are We Concerned About Krill?
Increasingly, krill's natural predators, such as penguins and seals, must now compete for their prey with industrial fishing vessels that often trawl in coves and near-shore waters, close to rookeries and feeding grounds. Recent field research shows that the demand for krill by land-based species has begun to exceed supply in certain areas of the southwest Atlantic.
Some scientists warn that the potential now exists for localized depletion of krill at levels that could seriously impact the entire southern marine ecosystem. These concerns have been made more urgent by global warming and by new technology that allows krill to be caught and pumped continuously out of the water and onto a vessel, where it can be processed immediately to prevent spoilage.
business health crap and krill
In Japan, this is real food.
Actually, let's take that a giant step further. It's considered a luscious delicacy known as okiami.
Okiami has been harvested by the Japanese as a food source since the 19th century – and possibly even earlier. Krill is also a traditional food of South Korea and Taiwan. And the Soviet Union (now Russia and Ukraine) were also large markets for krill.
It is processed by freezing, to go to Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese markets. Asians also enjoy dried krill. In fact, the Japanese prefer dried krill to frozen.
The only edible part is its tail – known for its rich omega 3 fatty acids.
It is used for soups, seafood salads, and restaurant entrees – and also as a seasoning (when used dried). Large krill with eggs are highly regarded as delicacies. They're stronger tasting than shrimp, and somewhat salty.
In Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany and South Korea there's been high interest in krill as a coagulated paste and as mince (a precooked dense pink paste). At the end of the 1970s, 2,000 tons per year were being produced for the Soviet market.
But specialists from many countries declare that the real delicacy is the intact shell-free tail meat – which as you might guess, is also the most difficult to obtain.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that these countries consumed krill as food, since krill inhabits the oceans off the West coast of Vancouver Island, Russia, Ukraine and Japan (besides Antarctica).
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