Whale recovery and the emerging human-wildlife conflict over Antarctic krill

Matthew S. Savoca (), Mehr Kumar, Zephyr Sylvester, Max F. Czapanskiy, Bettina Meyer, Jeremy A. Goldbogen and Cassandra M. Brooks
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Matthew S. Savoca: Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
Mehr Kumar: Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
Zephyr Sylvester: University of Colorado, Boulder
Max F. Czapanskiy: Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
Bettina Meyer: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Jeremy A. Goldbogen: Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
Cassandra M. Brooks: University of Colorado, Boulder

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The Southern Ocean ecosystem has undergone extensive changes in the past two centuries driven by industrial sealing and whaling, climate change and commercial fishing. However, following the end of commercial whaling, some populations of whales in this region are recovering. Baleen whales are reliant on Antarctic krill, which is also the largest Southern Ocean fishery. Since 1993, krill catch has increased fourfold, buoyed by nutritional supplement and aquaculture industries. In this Perspective, we approximate baleen whale consumption of Antarctic krill before and after whaling to examine if the ecosystem can support both humans and whales as krill predators. Our back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that current krill biomass cannot support both an expanding krill fishery and the recovery of whale populations to pre-whaling sizes, highlighting an emerging human-wildlife conflict. We then provide recommendations for enhancing sustainability in this region by reducing encounters with whales and bolstering the krill population.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51954-x

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