Antarctic ocean sanctuary talks end in failure

From ChannelAsia: Antarctic ocean sanctuary talks end in failure

SYDNEY: An international conference has failed to agree on new marine sanctuaries to protect thousands of polar species across Antarctica, sparking condemnation on Friday from conservation groups.

Two-week-long talks at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) at Hobart in Australia wrapped up late Thursday without resolution.

CCAMLR, made up of 24 countries and the European Union, had been considering proposals for two critical areas in Antarctica's Southern Ocean.

They included 1.6 million square kilometres (640,000 square miles) of protection for the Ross Sea, the world's most intact marine ecosystem, and 1.9 million square kilometres of coastal area in the East Antarctic, backed by Australia and the EU.

But concerns by countries over restrictions to ocean resources saw the talks end in stalemate. Instead, CCAMLR will hold an intercessional meeting in Germany in July.

The Antarctic Ocean Alliance, made up of 30 international organisations including the Pew Environment Group, WWF, and Greenpeace, said it was hugely disappointed.

"CCAMLR members failed to establish any large-scale Antarctic marine protection at this meeting because a number of countries actively blocked conservation efforts," said alliance official Steve Campbell.

Blocking countries reportedly included key fishing nations, with China, Japan, South Korea and Russia among them.

"This year, CCAMLR has behaved like a fisheries organisation instead of an organisation dedicated to conservation of Antarctic waters," added Farah Obaidullah of Greenpeace.

"If there is a glimmer of hope to be pulled from the ruins, it is in the redoubling of the commitment to create marine protected areas expressed by most CCAMLR members.

"The question now is whether countries like Russia, China and the Ukraine will come to the next meeting prepared to meet their conservation commitments."

The Antarctic region is home to big populations of penguins, seals and whales found nowhere else on Earth, and also has unique seafloor features that nurture early links in the food chain, according to environmental groups.

CCAMLR was established in 1982 with the goal of conserving marine life in the face of rising demands to exploit krill, a shrimp-like creature which is an important source of food for species in the Antarctic.

The commission permits fishing provided it is carried out "in a sustainable manner and takes account of the effects of fishing on other components of the ecosystem".