Editing Ross Sea (section)

===Marine Protected Area===
On 28 October 2016, at its annual meeting in [[Hobart]], a Ross Sea marine park was declared by the CCAMLR, under an agreement signed by 24 countries and the [[European Union]]. It protected over 1.5 million square kilometers of sea and was the [[List of largest protected areas|world's largest protected area]] at the time. However, a [[sunset provision]] of 35 years was part of negotiations, which means it does not meet the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] definition of a [[marine protected area]], which requires it to be permanent.<ref name="Guardian Slezak 2016">{{cite news|last1=Slezak|first1=Michael|title=World's largest marine park created in Ross Sea in Antarctica in landmark deal|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/28/worlds-largest-marine-park-created-in-ross-sea-in-antarctica-in-landmark-deal|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=28 October 2016|language=en-GB|date=26 October 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028152059/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/28/worlds-largest-marine-park-created-in-ross-sea-in-antarctica-in-landmark-deal|archive-date=28 October 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Beginning in 2005, the [[Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources]] (CCAMLR) commissioned scientific analysis and planning for [[Marine Protected Area]]s (MPA) in the Antarctic. In 2010, the CCAMLR endorsed their Scientific Committee's proposal to develop Antarctic MPAs for conservation purposes. The US State Department submitted a proposal for a Ross Sea MPA at the September 2012 meeting of the [[Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources|CCAMLR]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Delegation of the United States|title=A Proposal for the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/197887.pdf|website=Proposed Marine Protected Area in Antarctica's Ross Sea|publisher=U.S. Department of State|access-date=26 April 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> At this stage, a sustained campaign by various international and national NGOs commenced to accelerate the process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.antarcticocean.org/|title=Antarctic Oceans Alliance|website=www.antarcticocean.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-08-16|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817033827/http://www.antarcticocean.org/|archive-date=17 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In July 2013, the CCAMLR held a meeting in [[Bremerhaven]] in Germany, to decide whether to turn the Ross Sea into an MPA. The deal failed due to Russia voting against it, citing uncertainty about whether the commission had the authority to establish a marine protected area.<ref>[[New Scientist]], No. 2926, 20 July, "Fight to preserve last pristine ecosystem fails"</ref>

In October 2014, the MPA proposal was again defeated at the CCAMLR by votes against from China and Russia.<ref name="Guardian Mathiesen 2014">{{cite news|last1=Mathiesen|first1=Karl|title=Russia accused of blocking creation of vast Antarctic marine reserves|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/31/russia-accused-of-blocking-creation-of-vast-antarctic-marine-reserves|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=26 April 2016|language=en-GB|date=31 October 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513012625/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/31/russia-accused-of-blocking-creation-of-vast-antarctic-marine-reserves|archive-date=13 May 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> At the October 2015 meeting a revised MPA proposal from the US and New Zealand was expanded with the assistance of China, who however shifted the MPA's priorities from conservation by allowing commercial fishing. The proposal was again blocked by Russia.<ref name="Pew 2015">{{cite press release|last1=The Pew Charitable Trusts|title=Pew: Nations Miss Historic Opportunity to Protect Antarctic Waters|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pew-nations-miss-historic-opportunity-to-protect-antarctic-waters-300169451.html|website=www.prnewswire.com|access-date=26 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509124239/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pew-nations-miss-historic-opportunity-to-protect-antarctic-waters-300169451.html|archive-date=9 May 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>