School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 4R2.
Environ Sci Technol. 2012 May 1;46(9):4958-65. doi: 10.1021/es2040703. Epub 2012 Apr 18.
Concern has been voiced in recent years regarding the environmental implications of the Antarctic krill fishery. Attention has focused primarily on ecological concerns, whereas other environmental aspects, including potentially globally problematic emissions and material and energy demands, have not been examined in detail. Here we apply life cycle assessment to measure the contributions of krill meal, oil, and omega-3 capsules to global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, energy use, and biotic resource use. Supply chains of one krill fishing and processing company, Aker BioMarine of Norway, were assessed. Impacts of krill products were found to be driven primarily by the combustion of fossil fuels onboard the fishing vessel and a transport/resupply vessel. Approximately 190 L of fuel are burned per tonne of raw krill landed, markedly higher than fuel inputs to reduction fisheries targeting other species. In contrast, the biotic resource use associated with extracting krill is relatively low compared to that of other reduction fisheries. Results of this study provide insight into the broader environmental implications of the krill fishery, comparisons between products derived from krill and other species targeted for reduction, opportunities for improving the fishery's performance, and a baseline against which to measure future performance.
近年来，人们对南极磷虾渔业的环境影响表示关注。关注的焦点主要集中在生态问题上，而其他环境方面，包括潜在的全球性问题排放以及物质和能源需求，尚未得到详细研究。在这里，我们应用生命周期评估来衡量磷虾粉、油和欧米伽-3 胶囊对全球变暖、臭氧消耗、酸化、富营养化、能源使用和生物资源使用的贡献。评估了挪威阿克生物海洋公司的一家磷虾捕捞和加工公司的供应链。磷虾产品的影响主要是由捕捞船和运输/补给船燃烧化石燃料驱动的。每捕获一吨生磷虾，大约燃烧 190 升燃料，明显高于针对其他物种的减捕渔业的燃料投入。相比之下，与其他减捕渔业相比，提取磷虾所涉及的生物资源使用相对较低。这项研究的结果提供了对磷虾渔业更广泛的环境影响的深入了解，对磷虾和其他目标减捕物种的产品进行了比较，为改善渔业绩效提供了机会，并为未来的绩效提供了基准。
