Australian supermarkets stop krill sales
- Woolworths and Coles have removed or are removing krill-oil supplements from sale in Australia after campaign pressure, according to retailer listings checked on September 3. - Nick Volpe said on X the move would stop sales of krill “from supertrawlers,” while Woolworths and Coles listings showed multiple krill products recently. - Coles and Woolworths product pages and seafood sourcing policies remain public, while Antarctic krill management continues through the CCAMLR fishery review process.
Australian supermarkets appear to be pulling krill-oil supplements from sale after pressure from campaigners targeting Antarctic krill caught by large industrial vessels. Product pages reviewed on September 3 showed krill supplements had been sold through both Woolworths and Coles, while campaigners said the chains had now agreed to stop. Neither retailer had issued a prominent public release on the move in materials reviewed by Reuters-style checks. Nick Volpe, who posted about the decision on X on September 2, said Australian supermarkets were ending sales of krill sourced from “supertrawlers.” Woolworths and Coles did not immediately provide a public explanation on the pages reviewed, but their online stores had carried products marketed as Antarctic krill oil. ### Which supermarkets are involved? Woolworths and Coles are the two chains tied to the campaign claim. Woolworths product pages reviewed this week showed krill items including Swisse Ultiboost Deep Sea Krill Oil and Nature’s Way krill products, while Coles pages showed Swisse Ultiboost High Strength Deep Sea Krill Oil and Nature’s Way products. Coles’ broader fish-and-omega category page was live on September 3, but the shelf mix shown there was dominated by fish-oil products rather than krill. That does not by itself confirm a full withdrawal, but it is consistent with campaigners’ claim that krill lines are being removed. ### What exactly were they selling? Woolworths and Coles had been selling health supplements made from Antarctic krill rather than fresh seafood. (woolworths.com.au) Woolworths listings described krill oil as “sustainably sourced” or harvested from Antarctic waters, and Coles listings used similar language on Swisse and Nature’s Way products. Those product descriptions matter because the dispute is not over whether krill is sold in Australian supermarkets, but over the sourcing claims attached to it. (coles.com.au) Campaigners have argued that supplements marketed as sustainable still rely on an industrial fishery operating in areas used by Antarctic wildlife. ### Why are conservation groups focused on krill? CCAMLR, the international body that manages Antarctic marine living resources, says Antarctic krill is a key food source for whales, seals, penguins, squid and fish. (woolworths.com.au) Its materials say the fishery is reviewed annually and catch limits are set through conservation measures. Greenpeace Australia Pacific has argued for years that krill fishing overlaps with penguin colonies and whale feeding grounds near the Antarctic Peninsula. (greenpeace.org.au) In its “Licence to Krill” report, Greenpeace said growing demand for krill oil in supplements had helped drive expansion of the industry since 2010. ### What does “from supertrawlers” refer to here? Volpe’s wording points to large industrial vessels used in the Antarctic krill fishery, though the retailers’ product pages reviewed did not identify specific boats or operators. (ccamlr.org) Greenpeace’s report describes an expanding krill industry involving Norwegian, South Korean and Chinese fleets and says industrial fishing has moved close to wildlife feeding areas. (greenpeace.org.au) CCAMLR’s fishery documents also show the modern krill catch has become concentrated in parts of Area 48, including waters around the Antarctic Peninsula. That geographic concentration has been central to conservation groups’ criticism of the fishery. ### Have the supermarkets confirmed it publicly? Woolworths’ seafood sourcing page and seafood sourcing policy were publicly available on September 3, but neither document reviewed for this story specifically announced a krill-sales halt. (greenpeace.org.au) Coles’ responsibly sourced seafood page was also public, without a stand-alone statement on krill removal in the materials reviewed. That leaves the current public record resting on two pieces: retailer product listings showing krill had been sold, and campaign claims that the chains have now agreed to stop. (fishdocs.ccamlr.org) The next public marker is likely to be changes in searchable store listings or a formal retailer statement, while Antarctic krill rules continue to be reviewed through CCAMLR’s annual management process. (woolworths.com.au) (woolworthsgroup.com.au)
