Antarctic krill fishery effects over penguin populations under adverse climate conditions: Implications for the management of fishing practices.

ABSTRACT: Fast climate changes in the western Antarctic Peninsula are reducing krill density, which along with increased fishing activities in recent decades, may have had synergistic effects on penguin populations. We tested that assumption by crossing data on fishing activities and Southern Annular Mode (an indicator of climate change in Antarctica) with penguin population data. Increases in fishing catch during the non-breeding period were likely to result in impacts on both chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and gentoo (P. papua) populations. Catches and climate change together elevated the probability of negative population growth rates: very high fishing catch on years with warm winters and low sea ice (associated with negative Southern Annular Mode values) implied a decrease in population siz

SUBMITTER: Kruger L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7882667 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature