Hopes dashed for giant new Antarctic marine sanctuary
SYDNEY (AFP) — Hopes for a vast new marine sanctuary in pristine East Antarctica were dashed yesterday after a key conservation summit failed to reach agreement, with advocates urging “greater vision and ambition.”
Expectations were high ahead of the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a treaty tasked with overseeing protection and sustainable exploitation of the Southern Ocean.
Last year’s summit in Hobart saw the establishment of a massive United States and New Zealand-backed marine protected area (MPA) around the Ross Sea covering an area roughly the size of Britain, Germany and France combined.
But an Australia and France-led push this year to create a second protected area in East Antarctica spanning another one million square kilometre zone failed.
Officials told AFP that Russia and China were key stumbling blocks, worried about compliance issues and fishing rights.
Consensus is needed from all 24 CCAMLR membercountries and the European Union.
Greenpeace called for “greater vision and ambition” in the coming year while World Wildlife Fund’s Antarctic program chief Chris Johnson said it was another missed opportunity.
“We let differences get in the way of responding to the needs of fragile wildlife,” he said.
Australia’s chief delegate Gillian Slocum described the failure as “sad,” as she bemoaned little progress on addressing the impacts of climate change, which was having a “tangible effect” on the frozen continent.
“While CCAMLR was not able to adopt a Climate Change Response Work Program this year, members will continue to work together ahead of the next meeting to better incorporate climate change impacts into the commission’s decision-making process,” she said.