SAVE THE WHALE, EAT MARINE ALGAE!

ONE of the reasons oily fish contain such high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids is because of their own diet.

They consume large amounts of algae or tiny cold-water dwelling crustaceans called krill.

Humans don’t usually eat krill, but in recent years they have been fished to make omega-3 supplements.

Such supplements are often seen as an eco-friendly alternative to consuming fish oil capsules, which are made by cooking and then pressing whole fish.

However, overfishing of krill has prompted concerns from the environmental organisation Greenpeace about its impact on the whales, seals, penguins and fish that also feed on them.

Now it seems many fishing companies agree. Earlier this month, a group of the largest krill fishing companies — accounting for 85 per cent of the Antarctic krill-fishing industry — announced that they would voluntarily stop fishing krill in huge areas around the Antarctic Peninsula, to protect Antarctic wildlife.

Another more sustainable source of omega-3 is supplements made from marine algae.