Activists have occupied the roof of a heritage-listed 1840s building in central Hobart, unfurling a banner calling for a ban on krill fishing in Antarctica.
Members of the Bob Brown Foundation scaled the former Hutchins School building on Macquarie Street early this morning, as international delegates arrived for the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
“Krill are the foundation of the Antarctic ecosystem, yet every year supertrawlers plunder krill from the mouths of whales and penguins to make products we don’t need,” the foundation’s Alistair Allan said.
“It’s time to protect Antarctica and the animals that live there and ban this destructive fishery.”
The activists say several humpback whales have died in krill nets since 2021, with a number of deaths linked to a Norwegian company.
“Allowing supertrawlers to plunder the foundation of an ecosystem, all while they kill whales in their nets in the process, is an environmental crime,” Allan said.
“CCAMLR is meant to prioritise the conservation of Antarctic wildlife, but krill trawling is the complete opposite of that and must be banned.”
Retired farmer Jen Seccull, who joined the rooftop protest, said she wanted to send a clear message.
“Krill fishing must end now,” she said from the building’s roof.
The foundation is urging Australia to propose a ban on krill fishing at this year’s CCAMLR meeting and to block any push to increase catch quotas.
CCAMLR manages Antarctic marine resources under an international treaty designed to balance conservation with sustainable use.
