A sentiment analysis of online content containing Antarctic krill fishing search terms

The sentiment of online content containing Antarctic krill fishing and related search terms 12 was analysed to evaluate public perception of the fishery, as a consideration in management 13 decisions. The Antarctic krill fishery is managed by the Commission for the Conservation of 14 Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) which aims to manage the fishery with 15 minimal ecosystem impacts. A combination of recent increases in catches and perceived 16 negative environmental impacts of fishing for Antarctic krill has caused concern for the 17 future of krill populations among stakeholders and has resulted in an ongoing public debate. 18 The tenor of this debate is inevitably guided by access to information about Antarctic krill, 19 typically through online searches and social media. Public perception of the fishery was 20 analysed through sentiment and relevant keyword searches from three online platforms 21 (Factiva®, Google and Twitter). The analysis revealed an overall neutral to positive 22 sentiment of Antarctic krill fishing related content across all search platforms. This study 23 forms a baseline result for future monitoring of sentiment regarding Antarctic krill fishing as 24 it continues to operate in a changing environment as well as a providing a method for using 25 online content sentiment analysis to gauge the public’s perception of other fisheries.