Eco Marine Iceland is experimenting with krill fishing in Ísafjarðardjúp in the Westfjords, RÚV reports. Project Manager Daníel Guðbjartsson says no decision has been made on how the krill would be used if the fishing proves commercially viable.
Krill are small crustaceans found in all oceans and are an important food source for marine life such as whales, seals, cod, and capelin. Krill are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and have been previously used in oil, animal feed, and pharmaceuticals.
The research project is a cooperation between Eco Marine Iceland and Norwegian Innovation Technology Group. The latter owns the patent for the equipment, which uses light to attract the krill and then pumps them on board.
The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute is supervising the project, including monitoring the catch which so far has been quite small, well under 1% of stock in the fjord.
