Antarctic krill are harvested at industrial scale as the base of the Southern Ocean food web, with welfare implications for the vast dependent wildlife that rely on them.
Krill fishery welfare operates at the ecosystem level: the welfare of the billions of animals that depend on krill as their primary food source depends on maintaining krill populations at levels that support the Southern Ocean food web. While krill themselves may have limited welfare relevance given their simple nervous systems, the cascading welfare effects of krill depletion on penguins, whales, and seals are substantial. Industrial-scale harvest that may be approaching ecologically significant levels warrants precautionary management.