But conservationists said there were some positives from a two-week international meeting on the future of Antarctica’s pristine waters that concluded in Australia late on Friday. These included an agreement on new protections for the krill fishery and a commitment to meet in Chile next year to further discuss the proposal for the new marine protected areas, which together would cover a strip of ocean larger than India. Many nations have grown frustrated with Russia’s – and, to a lesser extent, China’s – ability to veto proposals, as the group’s rules require it to reach consensus before taking action. The US, which has been trying to find common ground with China, has blamed this year’s disputes squarely on Russia, which the US says has been undermining the group. “Russia’s repeated rejection of the best available scientific information amounts to an abuse of its commitment to engage in consensus decision-making,” the State Department said in a statement. The Russian delegation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project said it was pleased the group was able to agree on some measures related to the krill fishery. The small shrimp-like creatures are eaten by seabirds, penguins, seals and whales. “While the krill conservation measure is a good first step, new evidence highlights that the best proactive approach to Southern Ocean conservation combines ecosystem-based fisheries management and marine protected areas,” said Andrea Kavanagh, project director for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Finding consensus among the group called the Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Resources has always been difficult, but it has been made worse by Russia’s war in Ukraine — which is also a member of the group. The meeting began last week with a mass walkout when the Russian delegates began to speak. Kostiantyn Demianenko, who led the Ukrainian delegation, told The Associated Press last week that Russia had no right to be at the table. “A state that kills the civilian population, destroys another country’s air and ground civilian infrastructure and defiantly violates basic provisions of international law should absolutely be limited in its right to participate in the activities of international organizations such as CCAMLR,” he wrote. in an email.
