Holland & Barrett, a health and wellness retail giant with over 1000 stores in 19 countries, has today (October 30) announced that it will stop sourcing all krill products throughout its range in alignment with its stated commitment to protect fragile ecosystems.

According to the company’s announcement, Holland & Barrett has informed all suppliers of its resolution to fully exit the category by April 2026. It is the first major retailer to end the sale of all krill products.

This landmark decision follows extensive discussions with Sea Shepherd representatives, who submitted photographic evidence depicting industrial super trawlers operating among foraging whale pods in a proposed marine protected area, and who expressed concerns about the weakening regulations governing the rapidly growing krill fishery.

The company has voiced support for Sea Shepherd’s call for stronger protections for krill and the Antarctic ecosystem.

Last year, a conservation measure that required the impact of the krill fishery to be dispersed over a greater geographical area to reduce the risk of local decline was not renewed, meaning that fishing was more concentrated in areas with high biodiversity, accelerating the exploitation of krill and increasing the impact on Antarctic wildlife. 

“For the past three years, our annual ship expeditions to the Antarctica have documented the growing conflict between whales and super trawlers as the two compete for krill, the primary food source for whales, penguins and seals,” said Peter Hammarstedt, Campaign Director for Sea Shepherd Global. “We have been waiting a long time for a leading retailer to take action and to do the right thing when it comes to Antarctic protection and the krill fishery. We welcome Holland & Barrett’s decision to cease all krill product sales, and we call on other retailers to do the same.”