A Licence to Krill

krilloilfeature_feature.qxp 8/12/13 4:47 PM Page 1 SPECIALITY OILS ............................. s krill oil the new fish oil? Krill oil is growing fish oil. However, “manufacturers say the body Krill are at the heart of the more and more popular in the public eye can absorb the omega-3 fats in krill oil more read- ocean’s food chain, with a total and in the media, as rumours abound that it ily than those in fish oil. That’s because a large has as many – if not more – positive health portion of the DHA and EPA in krill oil is bound to biomass of between 400M and benefits to the human body than fish oil. phospholipids. The physical properties of phos- IBut what are krill? And what makes krill oil dif- pholipids allow them to dissolve in water, allowing 600M tonnes. Krill oil supplements are gaining in ferent, or superior, to fish oil? them to be easily absorbed. The omega-3 fatty Krill are small – up to six centimetres – shrimp- acids in fish oil, on the other hand, are attached to popularity but there are concerns like crustaceans at the base of the ocean’s food triglycerides, which don’t readily dissolve in water. over the impact krill fishery may chain. They are the most prolific species on the The fact that krill oil contains readily absorbed planet with a total estimated biomass of between phospholipids suggests that a smaller dose of have on the ocean’s ecosystem. 400M and 600M tonnes, and include 85 species. A omega-3s from krill oil may be equally effective as Charlotte Niemiec writes large number of ocean creatures rely on them as a a higher concentration found in fish oil.” source of food, including whales, seals, penguins, There is, as yet, very limited research on albatross, and many other birds. The annual whether krill oil outperforms fish oil, or on omega- reproduction rate for krill is at least several hun- 3 from krill oil in general. Studies suggest krill oil dred million tonnes, making it a sustainable fish- can help lower blood fats and increase HDL (‘good’ ing resource. Krill oil companies argue that this cholesterol), due to the presence of astaxanthin, high rate of reproduction renews the standing an antioxidant that comes from the algae krill feed A licence stock of krill at a sufficient rate to prevent over- on, which gives krill and lobster their pink colour. fishing. Other studies suggest the oil is effective at Krill oil contains high amounts of eicosapen- relieving the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome taenoic acids (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid and rheumatoid arthritis, according to The Globe (DHA), which are omega-3 fatty acids also found and Mail article, but these studies were criticised in fish oil, and phospholipid-derived fatty acids for design flaws. to krill (PLFA), mainly phosphatidylcholine, known as The majority of krill is harvested for aquacul- marine lecithin. ture feed, but krill harvested for human consump- Although still relatively unproven, omega-3 is tion is one of two species: Euphausia Superba, or said to have positive effects on certain cancers, Antarctic krill; and Euphausia Pacifica, Pacific cardiovascular disease, inflammation, develop- krill. mental disorders, brain and cognitive abilities, psychiatric disorders and cognitive aging (see A growing krill oil market ‘Omega-3 goes global’, p24). An article in The Globe and Mail, published in A number of companies specialising in krill fishing April this year, explains that the concentration of have been established in the last few decades. omega-3 fatty acids is lower in krill oil than in Scandinavian AkerBioMarine and Canadian ៉ 28 OFI – AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 www.oilsandfatsinternational.com krilloilfeature_feature.qxp 8/12/13 4:48 PM Page 33 SPECIALITY OILS ៉ Neptune Biotech are two such companies that nents of the ecosystem. Twenty-five countries eligible, a company must prove that: it is fishing harvest krill and sell the oil to consumers in this have now joined the organisation. sustainably and not exploiting resources; it is min- fast expanding industry. As of January this year, the CCAMLR has set a imising environmental impact; and that the fish- AkerBioMarine is an integrated biotech com- total catch limit for Antarctic krill in Area 48 of ery meets all local, national and international laws pany providing bio-marine ingredients. It has the Southern Ocean – where most of the fishery is and has a management system in place to respond received Marine Stewardship Council (MCS) focused – of 5.61M tonnes, but in practice a more to changing circumstances and maintain sustain- marine sustainability certification for its dedi- precautionary catch limit is set at 620,000 tonnes. ability. cation to environmentally friendly harvesting Scientists say they are monitoring the fishing but The Exeter report argues that the MSC should practices. so far, total catch levels are a small proportion of not certify krill fishery while there is uncertainty Neptune Biotech is a pioneer in the research, the population. regarding population numbers and the impact of development and commercialisation of natural, climate change on the species. marine-derived krill extracts. Neptune and its sub- Finding a friendly fishing method Patents have been issued for krill oil supple- sidiaries – including NeuroBioPharm and Acasti ments. In April, Lipid Technology reported that Pharma – own 85 issued patents, 17 applications A further ecological impact of krill fishing is the Neptune Biotech had been granted a new continu- and numerous trademarks in more than 30 danger of bycatch – capturing other marine ani- ation patent by the US Patent and Trademark countries. mals, such as seabirds and non-commercial fish Office (USPTO). Patent 8,383,675 contains a sin- According to Neptune Biotech, the omega-3 species – states the WWF. gle claim regarding ‘a capsule comprising an market will continue its growth from US$1.8bn in Krill are fished using fine nets, which pose a Antarctic krill oil extract comprising a phospho- 2011 to reach more than US$3.1bn/year in sales problem in that they tend to clog quickly and have lipid suitable for human consumption.’ It is related within the next few years, driven by demands for a high drag that produces a bow wave, which to prior patents 8,030,348 and 8,278,351, which dietary supplements, functional food and drinks, pushes krill to the sides. Furthermore, the act of are currently under re-examination by the and the pharmaceutical industry. Neptune bringing krill on board squeezes the krill together USPTO, at the request of AkerBioMarine. The new explains that omega-3 sourced from marine oils is and liquid (oil) is lost as a result. patent will, in effect, cover almost all krill oil sup- the fastest growing sector in the polyunsaturated New methods needed to be found that reduced plements and pharmaceutical products currently fatty acid (PUFA) ingredient market. bycatch and ensured a maximum krill catch, with on sale in the USA. a minimum liquid loss. One new method of fishing According to the report, this is just the latest Sustainability concerns is using suction tubes to pump krill on board, a stage in an ongoing dispute over intellectual prop- method that has had some success; it increases erty rights in the krill sector. As third parties are Krill is vital to the ocean’s ecosystem and, as more the capture capacity and the processing rate of now allowed to comment on a patent application and more companies fish for krill, concerns are krill. According to the University of Exeter report, while it is being considered, a number of patents growing among scientists and environmentalists, some of these ships have facilities on board to have been granted to either Neptune or its com- who argue that krill numbers have depleted by up manufacture biodiesel from krill. petitors in the last couple of years, only for other to 80% since the 1970s, with global warming con- AkerBioMarine’s krill trawler – the FV Atlantic interested parties to file for re-examination. sidered the main suspect. This uncertainty is of Navigator – used the suction technique in the In other news, the Food Chemicals Codex has great concern to NGOs, such as Greenpeace and 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 fishing seasons. This completed its new monograph for krill oil. Under the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and also to scien- ship alone caught 25% and 38% of the whole krill construction since 2009, it has received consider- tists, who express fears that there is no sure way catch in CCAMLR regions. Its successor ship, the able input from the leading players in the krill to estimate population numbers or to know the FV Saga Sea, can capture up to 120,000 industry, as well as using information supplied to long-term effects harvesting krill may have. tonnes/year of krill. regulators. A 2009 report, conducted on behalf of The efficiency of these ships ties into overfish- A significant concern with identifying krill oil Greenpeace, by Paul Johnston, David Santillo, ing concerns, especially as more and more ships has been to distinguish it from products sold Richard Page and Cat Dorey of the School of are being built. under the name, but containing phospholipids Biological Sciences at the University of Exeter, UK, from other sources. The new monograph contains examined the impact of krill harvesting alongside Certification, standards and patents an NMR method to test the total phospholipid con- reputed depleting numbers of krill. It gives the fol- tent in krill oil. lowing background on volumes harvested: The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) offers cer- If the NMR tests yield positive results, it looks “The krill fishery began in the 1970s and tification to the krill fishery market.

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