Ross sea marine protected area

A plan to create the world's largest marine sanctuary in Antarctic waters was shot down when a key conservation summit failed to reach a consensus, with environmentalists on Saturday decrying a lack of scientific foresight. Member states of the organisation tasked with overseeing the sustainable exploitation of the Southern Ocean failed at an annual meeting Friday to agree over the a 1.8 million square kilometre (1.1 million square miles) maritime protection zone. The proposed sanctuary -- some five times the size of Germany -- would ban fishing in a vast area in the Weddell sea, protecting key species including seals, penguins and whales. Consensus is needed from all 24 members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the European Union. But environmental groups say Russia and China -- whose concerns over compliance issues and fishing rights have proved key stumbling blocks in the past -- along with Norway, played a part in rejecting … [Read more...] about Plans for world’s largest ocean sanctuary in Antarctic blocked

Hopes for a vast new marine sanctuary in pristine East Antarctica were dashed Saturday after a key conservation summit failed to reach agreement, with advocates urging "greater vision and ambition". An Australia and France-led push this year to create a second protected area in 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 US 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 … [Read more...] about Hopes dashed for giant new Antarctic marine sanctuary

US President Barack Obama urged Beijing to take "concrete steps" to ease tensions over cyber intrusions and maritime claims, as America and China wrapped up three days of candid talks. American officials have voiced deep concerns about both issues at the annual strategic and economic dialogue due to set guidelines for steering future ties. During talks with officials including Vice Premier Liu Yandong and Vice Premier Wang Yang, Obama "raised ongoing US concerns about China's cyber and maritime behavior, and he urged China to take concrete steps to lower tensions," the White House said in statement. Ties have strained over US accusations of cyber espionage and this week's talks come after revelations of huge breaches of US government computer networks at the Office of Personnel Management. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who hosted the talks along with Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, said cyber hacking raised questions about security and "frankly harmed American businesses." But even … [Read more...] about Obama urges China to ‘cool’ cyber, maritime tensions

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.  A fur seal on King George Island, Antarctica. An international conference has failed to agree on new marine sanctuaries to protect thousands of polar species across Antarctica 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 … [Read more...] about Antarctic ocean sanctuary talks end in failure

Antarctica's Ross Sea is often described as the most isolated and pristine ocean on Earth, a place where seals and penguins still rule the waves and humans are about as far away as they could be. But even there it has proven difficult, and maybe impossible, for nations to agree on how strongly to protect the environment.     Antarctica’s Ross Sea is often described as the most isolated and pristine ocean on Earth, a place where seals and penguins still rule the waves and humans are about as far away as they could be The United States and New Zealand have spent two years trying to agree on an Alaska-sized marine sanctuary where fishing would be banned and scientists could study climate change. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took a strong interest in the outcome, regularly prodding diplomats, and New Zealand recently sent a delegation to Washington to hash out a tentative deal. That compromise, over a region that accounts for less than 2 … [Read more...] about Plans for giant Antarctic marine sanctuary falter