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I realize that habitat loss is a big thing, but I also know that some krill-eating species like the big whales have rebounded over the last 60 years. Could this
by xhkkffbf 5y ago
I realize that habitat loss is a big thing, but I also know that some krill-eating species like the big whales have rebounded over the last 60 years. Could this decline in krill be the result of the return of the whales?
- jheitzeb 5y agoKrill is a keystone species. Lose krill and the food chain collapses — at least krill is thought to hold such a role in the Southern Hemisphere. There, it is harvesting for omega 3 supplements that’s causing the decline. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/mar/23/fishing.food https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/mar/23/fishing....
- eloff 5y agoI think mostly the krill is used as fish and animal feed as a source of protein. Supplements are probably a small part of the consumption. It seems like a bad idea to overfish the base food chain species. But then pretty much everything we do with the ocean is a bad idea. The only thing that has been positive where the oceans are concerned is creating marine reserves where commercial fishing is prohibited, and enforcing that.
- aliasEli 5y agoIt seems pretty unlikely. For all whale specious the numbers are far lower than historical numbers. There is a huge amount of krill and there are a lot of other species that have been doing this for a very long time.