Q: What is krill?

A: The name comes from a Norwegian term meaning "small fry", and specifically refers to a species of pelagic marine planktonic crustaceans. Antarctic Krill, also known as Euphausia Superba, are about 4 - 5 cm in length and look very much like shrimp.

Q: How much krill can be safely harvested each year?

A: Estimates of krill abundance in the Southern Ocean made in the 1960's, suggest a sustainable krill harvest of around 150 million tons a year. This astronomical figure is put into perspective, when one considers that less than one hundred million tons of all species of fish and shellfish are currently harvested from the oceans of the world each year. As much as 1 to 5 billion tons of krill are estimated to be found in these waters. The biomass of this one species may be the largest of any multi-cellular animal species on the planet.

Q: Is krill fishing possible all year round?

A: Yes. No one is quite sure how krill, young or old, survive the Antarctic winter. They do not seem to build up large fat reserves, so must either use some food such as the algae which grows on the underside of the pack ice, detritus on the sea-floor or other animals in the water, or utilize some internal store other than fat. Evidence for the latter comes from laboratory studies in which Antarctic krill were found to be able to withstand long periods (up to 200 days) of starvation.

Q: How much protein is in krill?

A: Measuring only an average of 4 to 5 cm in length and weighing a mere 1 gram, krill is surprisingly high in nutrition. Each krill consists of about 15% high-quality protein containing vital amino acids, which can only be obtained from a healthy diet, and about 3% fat and vitamins. It also supplies to your diet a wealth of minerals such as iron, phosphorus and calcium. The high nutritional value of krill is one of the reasons that it is being called the food of the future.

Q: What are the benefits of krill oil?

A: Krill oil contains Omega 3 which plays a role in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and decreasing wrinkles.