Photograph  by  visual China

In the waters off the northern tip of the world's southernmost continent, one of the most important creatures is also the most profitable: Antarctic krill.

These swarming, translucent, shrimp-like creatures are eaten by almost everything here—fish, penguins, seals, and whales. But krill also support a multimillion-dollar global fishing industry. They get sucked into nets and ground into meal to feed aquarium fish or farm-raised salmon and get squeezed for their oil, which is used in pharmaceuticals, including in the United States.

Photograph  by Chinese ocean newspaper

Now, with climate change rearranging life along the western Antarctic Peninsula, scientists and marine advocates have been warning that wildlife—particularly penguins—are under far too much stress. Krill fishing, they say, could be making things worse. after years of negotiations, a majority of the fishing industry formally agreed to stop hauling in krill from around the peninsula's troubled penguin colonies. The industry also committed to helping set up a network of marine protected areas in coming years to better protect marine animals.

The new agreement is the first commitment of its kind. Fishing companies from Norway, China, Chile, and South Korea represent about 85 percent of the krill harvest. They agreed in 2019 to avoid fishing near penguin colonies during the breeding season. They committed in 2020, however, to staying 30 kilometers or more away from penguin colonies all year long.

Photograph   by national geographic creative

And while not all krill-fishing companies signed the agreement, those that did not are seeking membership into an industry alliance that would require them to be party to the guidelines.

"This is a bold and progressive response from these krill fishing companies, and we hope to see the remainder of the krill industry follow suit," said Greenpeace spokesman Phil Vine.They meet again in Hobart in October when a third, German-backed plan to protect the Weddell Sea, which extends from the southeast of South America over some 2.8 million square kilometres (1.1 million square miles), will also be on the agenda.

Andrea Kavanagh, head of The Pew Charitable Trusts' Antarctic and Southern Ocean work, said she hoped CCAMLR could build onthe  decision."Governments should follow industry's lead and support MPAs," she said.