Antarctic Talks Fail to Create Marine Reserves
BREMERHAVEN, Germany, July 16, 2013 (ENS) – Bowing to Russian objections, the countries that conserve Antarctica’s marine resources failed Tuesday to agree on two proposals to create far-flung marine sanctuaries in the seas around the southernmost continent.
A special meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, or CCAMLR, that brought 24 countries and the European Union to the table ended without result. Similar talks also foundered in October 2012, but the CCAMLR countries will try again in three months time.
CCAMLR has called special meetings only twice in its 30 year history, and this one was requested by the Russian delegation.
But it was Russia, with support from Ukraine, that challenged the legal basis for the creation of large-scale marine reserves in Antarctica.
The proposed protections are a Ross Sea marine reserve of 1.6 million square kilometers, where no fishing would be allowed, within a 2.3 million square kilometer marine protected area. The Ross Sea plan was proposed by the United States and New Zealand. If approved by the CCAMLR member states, it would be the world’s largest marine protected area.
Australia, France, and the European Union together proposed seven marine protected areas on the East Antarctic coast, covering an additional 1.6 million square kilometers.
All of the CCAMLR member states, including those that had concerns about the two proposals, took part in negotiations. However, the Russian delegation, with support from the Ukraine, raised legal issues as to whether CCAMLR has the authority to establish marine protected areas.
The Russian delegation objected despite the fact that CCAMLR established its first high-seas Marine Protected Area around the South Orkney Islands in 2009.
full article
http://ens-newswire.com/2013/07/16/antarctic-talks-fail-to-create-marine-reserves/
= new reply since forum marked as read
I can see why the Russians objected: they have factory fishing ships down there
and they don't want mere scientific & ecological arguments interfering with business.
It's a shitty argument but one that we have come to expect from all manner of nations.
I would believe some of the EU nations if they had done it (for the same reason)
but am glad that they didn't.
I could even believe the Japanese objecting (in case it impinged on their whale slaughter
operations) - again, glad that they didn't.
Ukraine?
