Fisheries harvest Antarctic Krill in the Southern Ocean where the krill both breed and live. The krill can become six centimeters long and weigh up to two grams. They have large black eyes and translucent pink shells.

1. 38 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | September-October 2015
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Welcome to Expert Topic. Each issue will take an in-depth look
at a particular species and how its feed is managed.
KRILL
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2. L
ess than you might think, and certain-
ly less than we should, considering
its vital importance to many marine
ecosystems.
Euphausia superba (probably the most
important species commercially) is to be
found within a wide but asymmetric band of
water completely encircling the continent of
Antarctica, narrowest in the area south of the
Pacific Ocean.
However, the actual distribution of indi-
viduals within this area is often rather hard
to determine. Although there is evidence to
suggest they are relatively strong swimmers, it
appears they are still very much at the mercy
of ocean currents, which have been known
to sweep them into superswarms as large as
450km2.
Estimates of global krill biomass have
varied widely over the years, between about
a hundred to around a billion metric tonnes.
Hence, the great difficulty in assessing how
far stocks have fallen in the past decades.
Estimates vary from 38 to 75 percent per
decade since 1976.
Even the lower of these two figures is
worrying. Why? Because krill are pretty much
the foundation of the Antarctic Ocean's food
web. They eat phytoplankton, and are in turn
eaten by a vast number of marine mammals,
fish, birds and cephalopods. If they go, as far
as we can see, a great deal of the ecosystem
goes with them.
Krill prefer to eat phytoplankton, but will
accept a wide variety of foodstuffs, including
their own shed skins and even their own
faeces. Cannibalism is also not unheard of:
eggs, larvae and adults alike, should the neces-
sity arise.
Captured krill should be processed within
three hours, otherwise the meat becomes
tainted by their own internal organs. The
protein content is high - 40 to 80 percent
dry weight - yet some studies have shown a
lower growth-rate in fish fed protein sourced
only from krill, compared to those obtaining it
from fishmeal.
Source: FAO
1 What do we know about krill?
by Malachi Stone, International Aquafeed Magazine
September-October 2015 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | 39
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3. Antarctic Krill
Krill, Euphausia superba, are
shrimp-like crustaceans. Antarctic
krill live in the coldest and most
pristine waters on Earth, free of
contaminants and environmental
pollution. Krill has documented
properties, is continuously
researched and is sustainably fished.
Proven properties
Fisheries harvest Antarctic Krill in the
Southern Ocean where the krill both breed
and live. The krill can become six centimeters
long and weigh up to two grams. They have
large black eyes and translucent pink shells.
Krill are harvested to produce krill meal
as an ingredient for aquaculture feeds and
pet food. It also has great health benefits for
human consumption.
Krill in fish feed has unique properties. Krill
meal contains a range of essential nutrients
for shrimp and fish, including essential amino
acids, feed attractants, and cholesterol. The
highly bioavailable phospholipid Omega-3
fatty acids, the powerful antioxidant astax-
anthin and high quality proteins speed up
growth, improve the fishes’ heart health and
the filet yield and quality.
Scientific studies document that fishes with
diets that contain krill had increased growth,
feed uptake and higher yield. In a major com-
mercial-scale project, salmon were fed BioMar
feed with krill, called Quick. The fish were
compared to those that had not received
Quick. The fish that received feed containing
Quick offered a higher slaughter yield and a
higher fillet yield. The firmness of the fillet was
greater and the gaping was lower in fish that
was fed Quick. The improvements in the filet
quality could be of major importance.
Many animal studies have been performed
with krill meal. Krill has health benefits for
dogs. Recently, Aker BioMarine launched Qrill
Pet in Europe and it will soon also become
available in the US and other markets. Just
like krill has many health benefits for fish and
shrimp, research indicates health benefits for
pets.
Krill oil has been available as a dietary
supplement for approximately ten years. The
majority of the omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and
DHA) in krill oil are bound to a particular type
of fat called phospholipids. Krill oil significantly
improves the omega-3 index (percentage of
EPA and DHA in the red blood cell mem-
brane). The functions of EPA and DHA in
the human body are many. Among other
functions, they promote a healthy heart, and
help normalise triglyceride and blood pressure
levels. DHA in particular also contributes to
normal brain function and vision.
Clean product based on
ongoing scientific research
Krill is one of the largest biomasses in
the world. There are hundreds of million
tons of Antarctic krill around Antarctica in
the Southern Ocean. The majority of the
krill industry operates in Area 48 where
krill lives in large schools. This makes them
easy to fish and a particularly appealing food
source.
Antarctic krill depend on sea ice for their
habitat. They start life as microscopic eggs
spawned at the ocean surface. They sink to
grow, hatch and then swim to the surface
where they feed.
A female krill can lay up to 10 000 eggs,
several times during the short Antarctic sum-
mer. When the newly hatched larvae arrive
at the ocean surface in the autumn they
must eat fast, so they can survive the long
ice-covered winter. Krill larvae eat ice-trapped
algae. In spring, the ice melts and the larvae
are released into the open ocean where they
begin to form schools like the adults.
Krill mature at two years old and can live
up to 11 years. Adult krill can live anywhere
between the surface layer and the seafloor,
from shallow areas to deep ocean sea. They
migrate between the surface at night and the
deep waters during the day, remaining in the
dark. The currents, tides and storms affect the
schools of krill.
The Southern Ocean is home to thou-
sands of different marine life species, all
dependent on each other in a vulnerable eco-
system. Antarctic krill is in the middle of the
food chain between the microscopic plants
and animals, and the larger animals. Krill are
food for humpback whales, fish and penguins.
Despite all of this, there is still a lot that
is unknown about krill. The fisheries active in
the Antarctic focus their research on gathering
scientific data. However, with harsh condi-
tions, the scientific vessels are only present
in Antarctic for a short period of time every
year. The Association of Responsible Krill
Fishing Companies (ARK), an organisation
developed to promote research for the sus-
tainable harvest of Antarctic krill, encourages
krill fishing vessels to host scientists and collect
scientific data. Aker BioMarine gets monthly
and haul-by-haul data from the fishery, and
carries scientific international observers. This
provides information on krill stocks, and
expands the knowledge of stock dynamics.
With this knowledge, all parties will have
a better understanding of the Antarctic’s
ecosystem.
Krill populations vary in size from year
to year. And in extreme circumstances, krill
shortages have affected the breeding of seals
and penguins. In other areas of the Antarctic,
it has been difficult to link the krill population
fluctuation with the health of the seal and
penguin population.
The current assessment process of the krill
40 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | September-October 2015
EXPERT T●PIC

4. population does not include seasonal changes
in stock size, natural fluctuations in krill abun-
dance and the effect of climate change (for
example, warmer and more acidic oceans) on
krill. The main challenge is to get a synoptic
survey of the Antarctic krill. These data points
need to be collected to better understand the
ecosystem and protect it.
In 2015, scientists, businesses and environ-
mental organisations decided to address the
lack of information about the Antarctic and
its ecosystems, and established the Antarctic
Wildlife Research Fund (AWR). AWR is
an opportunity to monitor the impacts of
krill fishing and conduct further ecological
research on krill. The independent scientific
experts and their data will fill the critical gap
in research and monitoring.
A sustainable industry
is a serious industry
Companies that harvest krill are entrusted
to care for and handle the krill they fish in a
responsible manner. Aker BioMarine’s vessels,
Antarctic Sea and Saga Sea, use Pelagic trawls
with its proprietary eco-friendly harvesting
technology. This is paramount to its activity.
The Eco-Harvesting system harvests live krill
on demand. The system’s hose, between the
trawl and the vessel, allows the fishing net to
stay underwater during the entire operation.
As the net is not hauled and shot, this mini-
mises interactions between the net and krill
surface predators, especially seals and birds.
At the opening of the net, a fine-mesh
screen excludes unwanted by-catch (non-
krill). The vessel also moves very slowly in the
water to allow fish and other species caught
in the net to easily swim out. This novel
harvesting method, combined with independ-
ent observers, catch reports and underwater
cameras, and assure that only 0.2 percent
of the catch composition are species other
than krill. This method, and the fact that the
products are swiftly produced, ensure that the
products are of the highest quality. Although
Aker BioMarine’s technology is recognised as
the industry-leading standard, Aker BioMarine
is always looking to see how they can improve
to work as a sustainably and ecofriendly as
possible.
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an
international non-profit organisation with an
independent certifying body and a public
assessment process, has developed sustain-
able fishing and seafood traceability standards.
To be certified, MSC assesses the fishery man-
agement, its impact on the stock on species
dependent on the krill, while monitoring the
wider ecosystem. In 2015, MSC re-certified
Aker BioMarine’s krill fishery as sustainable
and 100 percent traceable, allowing the fish-
ery to carry the distinct blue eco-label on its
products.
When exploratory krill fishing began in the
1960s, catch levels were low compared with
the 1980s when commercial fisheries caught
more than half a million tons of krill. This
raised concerns that fisheries would deplete
local krill stocks.
To protect the ecosystem, the Convention
of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(CCAMLR) was signed. This international
treaty continues to oversee krill fishing with
24 members, including six countries that fish
for krill. In advance of each season, CCAMLR
requires vessels to annually notify their fishing
area and potential catches.
With a shared commitment to protect
the Antarctic krill, support scientists in their
endeavor to learn more about this bountiful,
but not unlimited, resource, the proper-
ties of krill meal and oil can continue to be
researched and documented.
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Why use fish feed from
"Krill is one of the largest
biomasses in the world.
There are hundreds of
million tons of Antarctic
krill around Antarctica in
the Southern Ocean"
September-October 2015 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | 41
EXPERT T●PIC

5. Aquaculture feeds frequently
have several different ingredients
with independent and combined
benefits. “Feed for farmed shrimp,
salmon and marine fish share
one aim – to improve the feeding
response,” says Nils Einar Aas,
Sales Director, Aker BioMarine
Antarctic. “Antarctic krill meal
from (Euphausia superba) is a
feed ingredient that does exactly
this. It accelerates growth.” And
accelerating growth at the right time
promotes filet quality and in addition
quantity in terms of fat content,
pH, colour, firmness and gaping.
by Olivia Holden, International Aquafeed
Magazine
W
hat is good for the
consumer can be good for
the producer. Accelerated
growth is profitable
because greater weight leads to higher value.
Accelerated growth reduces production
time, which reduces working capital in pro-
duction and increases profitability.
Feeds are composed differently and each
ingredient has attributes that are carefully
considered in amounts and quality. Fish feed
is often made from a mix of maize, soya and
other commodities, various ingredients and
micronutrients. Certain ingredients acceler-
ate growth and improve performance; still
others replace more costly fishmeal, fish oil,
soy lecithin and cholesterol. Many feeds try to
speed up growth, increase yield and improve
the quality.
Aquaculture feeds’ raw materials and
ingredients’ prices vary widely. Prices usually
reflect the value given to the feed and the
actual supply and demand situation. Raw
materials with higher value are often nutrient
dense, contain high quality nutrients, have
one or more essential nutrients and they can
bring additional value to a product like taste
or colour.
A powerful and pure ingredient
from pristine waters
Generally speaking, krill is a minor per-
centage of the feed
but it demonstrates
major effects: improved
health and rapid growth.
Harvested from the
Antarctic’s pristine waters
(around Area 48), krill
provides essentials for
health: highly bioavailable
phospholipid Omega 3
fatty acids, the powerful
antioxidant Astaxanthin,
and high quality proteins.
“Krill solves an important
problem: how to accel-
erate growth,” says Aas.
Studies document performance
Studies and controlled trials for a range of
species confirm that shrimp, salmonids and
marine fish fed with krill grow faster than the
control groups that are fed with feed exclud-
ing krill.
Increased growth during the smolt phase
has implications for entire growth until har-
vest. From May to August 2007, a smolt
experiment with QrillTM was conducted at
Norway’s Averøy research station. Nofima
Marine’s research centre conducted the study
on juvenile salmon following their transfer out
to sea pens. Salmon were fed feed containing
15 percent and seven percent QrillTM Aqua
against a control group. Qrill contain a range
of functional and essential marine nutrients for
aquaculture species, including 40 percent of
Figure 2: Influence of Qrill as a finisher diet on salmon thermal growth
3Antarctic Krill
and accelerated
growth rates
42 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | September-October 2015
EXPERT T●PIC

6. the lipid content in the form of phospholipids.
It contains a balance of essential amino acids,
fatty acids, feed attractants, Astaxanthin and
healthy cholesterol. And the effects upon
growth are immediate.
During the smolt phase, feed intake,
salmon weight and faecal samples (indicating
digestibility) were monitored daily. The find-
ings show significant increased feed intake in
groups with Qrill diets. The control salmon
grew 163g/fish, whereas salmon fed feed with
7.5 percent Qrill grew 211g/fish; and salmon
fed 15 percent grew 226 g/fish. In relation to
the control group, 7.5 percent Qrill increased
growth 30 percent; 15 percent Qrill increased
salmon growth 39 percent.
Three months after the study’s start-up,
the average weight of the control salmon was
267 grams, but the average Qrill fed salmon
was 326 grams. This translates to impressive
accelerated growth: 18 percent for 7.5 per-
cent Qrill feed and 23 percent for 15 percent
Qrill feed.
Study results show significant increased
feed intake in groups fed diets with Qrill.
The research reinforces documentation
that Qrill enhances nutrition and growth.
Larger and more robust fish in the critical
phase where salmon are placed in the sea
lowers mortality and morbidity.
Another commercial scale project took
place between May 2013 and January,
2014. Here 14 groups at five sites in
Norway, totalling 260-farmed salmon,
were tested. Some were fed BioMar
QuickTM another feed with krill, and
others not. Nofirma, one of Europe’s
largest institutes for applied research
within the field of fisheries, aquaculture
and food, analysed the results. Salmon
fed Quick weighed significantly more
than the control group (4.6kg and
4.3 kg respectively). In addition to
the weight, the feed with krill stimu-
lated the development of more and
firmer muscle. Independent studies
at Norway’s Aquaculture Protein
Centre showed that dietary krill
meal stimulated feed intake and
growth in salmon.
Krill as a finisher diet
Krill has promising properties as a fin-
isher diet in medium size Atlantic salmon. It
increases the filet quality and the slaughter
weight, which increases the income. In
short, it leads to a short turn around time
from the investment to the return on
investment. A study conducted by Aker
BioMarine had two diets: one with 30
percent fishmeal and one where 10 per-
cent Qrill replaced the fishmeal. After 40
days, the salmon fed with 10 percent Qrill
had Thermal Growth rate of 4.41 and the
controlled 3.95.
Krill’s unique attributes
There are several attributes that make
krill accelerate growth. Its biological features
help accelerate the shrimp or fishes’ growth.
The krill’s protein for example is known to
boost growth. In addition, krill acts as a feed
attractant and stimulant. It also increases feed
uptake. This unique combination of attributes
is what solves more than one problem - it
accelerates healthy growth.
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