Antarctic Ocean marine reserve creation a 'milestone for conservation'
THE creation of the world's biggest marine reserve in Antarctica, covering an area more than six times the UK, has been hailed as a "milestone for conservation".
The world's biggest marine reserve will be created in Antarctica
Agreement was reached by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) - which is made up of 24 countries including the UK - and the EU, to protect 1.55 million square kilometres (600,000 square miles) of the Ross Sea.
The protected area, which will come into force in December 2017, will curb damaging activities such as fishing to protect wildlife including Adelie and emperor penguins in the remote Antarctic sea.
The move will protect 1.55 million square kilometres (600,000 square miles) of the Ross Sea
Some 72 per cent - 430,000 square miles - of the marine protected area will be a "no-take" zone where all fishing is forbidden, while other areas will allow some harvesting of fish and krill for scientific research.
Last year British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh completed a series of swims in the freezing waters around Antarctica to call for a marine reserve to protect the "pristine" waters of the Ross Sea.
The sea is home to penguins, Weddell seals, Antarctic toothfish and killer whales
It is one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the world, which Mr Pugh described at the time of his swims as a "garden of Eden". The sea is home to penguins, Weddell seals, Antarctic toothfish and killer whales.
The deal, put together by New Zealand and the US, became a reality after Russia - the last country holding out on the creation of the protected area - agreed to the move.