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The Australian government has described an international summit's failure to reach agreement on strengthened conservation measures in Antarctica as a "lost opportunity". The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) wrapped up its annual meeting in Hobart on Friday after two weeks of high-level negotiations. But the 27 member states were unable to reach consensus on proposed marine protected areas and updated rules for krill fishing — with China and Russia again vetoing the measures. "Australia is disappointed that once again, despite two weeks of intensive negotiations, agreement could not be reached on new marine protected areas or spatial distribution of the krill fishery," the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) said in a statement. "This is a lost opportunity to advance conservation of krill and the ecosystems and predators that krill support." The same two countries were criticised for blocking similar conservation measures at last year's CCAMLR meeting, including efforts to continue a rule preventing concentrated krill fishing. The failure to extend the measure led to the unprecedented shutdown of the Antarctic krill fishery in August, after industrial trawlers reached the catch limit of 620,000 tonnes months earlier than normal. "There was clear advice from the commission's scientific committee that spatial distribution of krill fishing should be urgently re-established," the AAD said. WWF calls for moratorium on krill fishing Krill are considered a "keystone" species in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, where whales, penguins, seals and other animals rely on the small crustaceans for the bulk of their food. They also play an important role in transferring carbon from the ocean's surface to its depths, although studies show the species is being increasingly impacted by climate change. "There's a whole vibrant ecosystem of very unique and special animals and they all need that krill," Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) executive director Claire Christian said. "So, it's really important to make sure that that one key species is abundant enough for them." Each season, about a dozen industrial trawlers head to the Antarctic Peninsula to harvest krill, which are used commercially in aquaculture feed, pet food, bait and nutritional supplements. Many CCAMLR members had been pushing for marine protected areas, including one over the Antarctic Peninsula, which would have prohibited fishing in key breeding and foraging sites, while allowing limited krill fishing in other areas. Many members also wanted strengthened distribution rules, forcing trawlers to get their krill catch from a much wider area to avoid detrimental impacts on local ecosystems. But the conservation measures were not accepted by all CCAMLR parties, which is a requirement at the consensus-based organisation. Conservation group WWF said a moratorium on krill fishing should be implemented until such measures were enacted. "We are witnessing the slow erosion of Antarctic protection by a small number of countries," WWF Australia's ocean conservation manager, Emily Grilly, said. "It's time for ocean-leading countries like Australia to support a moratorium on krill fishing until adequate fishing safeguards and marine protection measures are put in place." Ms Christian, from ASOC, said while it was disappointing the measures were blocked, she was encouraged that most countries had resisted pressure to increase catch limits without the enactment of safeguards. "Even though I would have loved to see progress, it's positive that we didn't end up going down a path that would have taken us further and further away from those ecosystem protection goals." The ABC has contacted the Chinese and Russian embassies for comment. China and Russia criticised Lyn Goldsworthy, an adjunct researcher at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, also lamented the lack of progress at this year's meeting. "We came away with nothing, so we are back in status quo," she said. "Countries can fish where they like, to the amount they like [up to the catch limit of] 620,000 tonnes." However, Ms Goldsworthy, who has attended most CCAMLR meetings over the past few decades, said it would be wrong to view the international body as a failure. "And they are being blocked constantly, continuously, by two countries who refuse to negotiate. "And that is complete bad faith when a country joins an international regime [like CCAMLR]." In a statement, CCAMLR said the meeting did result in several new measures, including one designed to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Southern Ocean. Other adopted measures included the development of a regular report on the state of the Antarctic environment, and increased data on fish by-catch in the krill fishery. Last year, CCAMLR's "incidental mortality" reports revealed that krill fishing vessels had hauled in two dead humpback whales, as well as an injured whale. The Association of Responsible Krill Harvesting Companies (ARK), which represents most of the operators in the Southern Ocean, said "voluntary restricted zones" would remain in place over parts of the Antarctic Peninsula. "This ongoing measure reflects ARK's commitment to ecosystem-based management and to reducing fishing pressure in areas critical to krill-dependent predators," ARK said in a statement. "We remain confident that CCAMLR will, in time, adopt comprehensive regulatory measures that effectively manage both krill and its predators — surpassing what voluntary initiatives can achieve. "International negotiations are complex, particularly in today's geopolitical climate, but progress continues through active inter-sessional work." Last week, the CCAMLR meeting made international headlines after Ukraine's delegation accused Russia of detaining one of its scientists in occupied Crimea. Documents linked to the scientist's arrest also raised concerns about Russia's long-term interest in Antarctic oil. The next CCAMLR meeting is scheduled to take place in Hobart in October next year.
