Global efforts to protect key areas in the Ross Sea and East Antarctica have been blocked by China and Russia, after the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) failed to reach an agreement.
Two proposals for the coastal regions were discussed at a recent meeting: a joint US-NZ proposal to designate a Ross Sea MPA of 1.32 million km², and a proposal from Australia, France and the EU to protect 1.2 million km² of East Antarctic waters. The final consensus from the 24 nations and the EU that make up CCAMLR membership was “actively blocked”.
The partners of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA) say this failure to reach consensus for the fourth time calls into question CCAMLR’s ability to deliver on its conservation commitments.
“This year's failure denigrates the reputation of CCAMLR and is symptomatic of a dangerous global trend where geopolitical interests override any genuine efforts to protect the oceans for the sake of future generations,” said Richard Page, Greenpeace.
“Another year of inaction means another year that these near-pristine waters and their remarkable biodiversity are open to the threat of industrial fishing. The proposed designations would have ensured the long-term protection of many species, including penguins, seals and whales,” added Andrea Kavanagh, who directs Pew’s efforts to protect penguins and the Southern Ocean.
Despite the continuing challenges, AOA says it’s been encouraging to see the strong support for the MPAs from fishing countries like Korea and Norway, while the United States, New Zealand, Australia, the European Union and France continue to promote solid Antarctic marine protected proposals in Antarctica.
AOA partners, which have identified around 40% of the Southern Ocean that warrants protection, say they will continue to press the countries failing to support the MPAs and will attend the next CCAMLR meeting in 2015 to ensure conservation commitments are met.
