Aker QRILL Company introduced Krill Science Hub, the world's first comprehensive digital platform dedicated to research on Antarctic krill and its ecosystem.

 

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Aker BioMarine and Aker QRILL step up to safeguard the Antarctic Peninsula

Both companies will support the proposal, presented by Argentina and Chile, to protect 70% of the Antarctic Peninsula at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.

Rocio Álvarez Jiménez

Aker BioMarine and Aker QRILL Company have declared their active support for the Argentina–Chile initiative, which aims to protect 455,957 km² of ocean — nearly 70% of the Antarctic Peninsula — including krill spawning grounds and key habitats for penguins, seals, and whales.

This proposal has been under consideration for over 10 years by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the body that regulates marine resources in Antarctica.

Aker will actively support this initiative to designate one of the world’s largest marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Antarctic Peninsula during the Clinton Global Initiative taking place this week in New York.

"The Antarctic Peninsula is central to the future of biodiversity and climate resilience, and it is time to move from debate to action. Protecting it will demand unusual partnerships and real dialogue between governments, NGOs, philanthropy, science, and industry. This is not about sides, it is about the future of our oceans," assured Matts Johansen, CEO of Aker BioMarine and Chairman of Aker QRILL Company.

Back in 2019, fishing companies and environmental NGO Greenpeace reached an agreement to voluntarily close areas near penguin colonies.

Regarding this agreement, Johansen noted: "This proved that even the most unlikely partners can find common ground when the stakes are high. We care deeply about the ocean, and lasting protection will only come if we work together rather than against each other. If it can be done in Antarctica, the same spirit must guide other fisheries too."

In June, Aker QRILL Company introduced Krill Science Hub, the world's first comprehensive digital platform dedicated to research on Antarctic krill and its ecosystem, including krill biomass dynamics, ecosystem interactions, and harvesting environmental impacts.