Antarctica marine reserve approved

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The countries that decide the fate of Antarctica reached an historic agreement on Friday to create the world’s largest marine protected area in the ocean next to the frozen continent.

The agreement comes after years of diplomatic wrangling and high-level talks between the U.S. and Russia, which has rejected the idea in the past.

Proponents of the reserve say it sets a precedent for multiple countries work- ing together to protect a large swath of ocean, which falls outside any single nation’s jurisdiction.

The agreement covers an area about twice the size of Texas in the Ross Sea.

The deal was clinched after 24 countries and the European Union met in Hobart, Australia, this week.

Decisions on Antarctica require a consensus among the 25 members, which has confounded past efforts.

The U.S. and New Zealand have been pushing for a marine reserve for years.

They first submitted a joint proposal in 2012, but it was rejected five times be- fore Friday’s agreement.

The marine protected area covers 0.62 million square miles.

There will be a blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three-quarters of that area. In the remaining ocean, some monitored commercial fishing would be allowed.

A small amount of fishing for research purposes would be allowed throughout the protected zone.

Several countries fish in the waters surrounding Antarctica for lucrative toothfish, which are often marketed in North America as Chilean sea bass.