"Russia Thwarts Plan for Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary, China on Board"

"SYDNEY, Australia - Russia has again thwarted attempts to create the world’s largest ocean sanctuary in Antarctica, the final country opposing the protection of a vast swathe of rich waters from fishing, after a revised international plan won support from China.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) ends a 10-day meeting in Hobart, Australia on Friday without the consensus needed for a deal to conserve and manage the marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean. While Russia blocked conservation proposals for a fifth consecutive time, delegates welcomed China's support for the revised Marine Protection Area (MPA) in the icy but fertile Ross Sea put forward by the United States and New Zealand.

'China’s support for a revised MPA is a major step forward in reaching the consensus required to put workable protections in place for the Ross Sea,' New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said in a statement."

Lincoln Feast reports for Reuters October 30, 2015.