A proposal to create the world’s largest marine sanctuary in the Antarctic Ocean has been blocked by three nations – China, Russia, and Norway.
At a recent meeting in Tasmania, Australia held by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources(CCAMLR), the global body responsible for the protection of Antarctic waters, 22 members including the US, UK, and the European Union voted in favour however the proposal required unanimous support from all members to proceed.
Antarctica is home to whales, penguins, seals and huge numbers of krill, a staple food for many marine species. The proposed sanctuary – some five times the size of Germany, would have prevented industrial-scale fishing for krill in the area – a practice that Norway, Russia, and China are heavily involved in, therefore it is very disappointing but not surprising that these nations blocked the vote, which would have given added protection to the area.
