Olympic Seafood, a provider of seafood, specilaity ingredients and marine raw materials, has announced the Eco-Collecting initiative which the company says embodies the ecological stewardship surrounding production of the Rimfrost Krill Collection.
Through the Eco-Collecting approach, commerce, technology and ecology are combined, according to Olympic. The aim is to ensure catching krill does not affect the ecosystem negatively and that the industry as a whole operates responsibly. With the Eco-Collecting approach, Olympic Seafood said that it sets an example.
While the approach has been in place since Olympic Seafood began krill operations, Olympic says that the new Eco-Collecting trademark seeks to better communicate the efforts put forth to responsibly produce the Rimfrost Krill Collection.
The Eco-Collecting approach follows the strict guidelines for krill fisheries in the Antarctic waters set out by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). CCAMLR monitors and controls all krilling activity in the Antarctic with a system of independent on-board observers who are always present to ensure compliance. CCAMLR knows exactly how much krill is caught, where, and when.
Complete 100% traceability of the krill is confirmed with the Eco-Collecting approach, which is also Friend of the Sea certified. Friend of the Sea is a non-governmental organisation that works to conserve marine habitat and its resources.
Critical to the success of Olympic’s Eco-Collecting approach is the technology onboard its ship ‘Juvel’ which the company says is the newest krilling vessel on the seas. Juvel aims for low emissions, low energy use and low climate impact. Juvel utilises acoustic sonar technology to precisely locate the krill enabling short trawl times and accurate collection. Only small quantities are needed and collection only occurs for immediate processing, and therefore no krill gets spoiled and goes to waste. The rapid enzymatic processing onboard swiftly preserves the intrinsic goodness of krill.
As part of its Eco-Collecting approach, Olympic Seafood hosts research expeditions to the Antarctic every second year to study various aspects of the ecosystem. In addition, during normal krill collecting voyages, the Juvel collects data and reports wildlife sightings and other useful observations to CCAMLR and research institutions in order to better understand the complex ecosystem of the Antarctic.
