Antarctic PeninsulaOne Chinese krill vessel pumps up 1,000 tonnes a day.
Krill lock away at least 20 million tonnes of carbon yearly, Plymouth Marine Laboratory researchers say.
China operates the largest krill fleet, 6 of 15 registered vessels, and a Fujian county approved a seventh in June.
Some scientists say krill harvests are small enough to be sustainable if managed well.
Next year’s catch rules are decided at a meeting this month, after August’s early closure at 620,000 tonnes.
How each outlet framed it
- Dialogue Earth leans critical
- details suction-pump technology capability (1,000 tonnes/day vs. older trawl nets), maps expansion plan including Fu Yuan Yu 9666 and krill-processing industrial park
Sources: Dialogue Earth