POLAR POLITICS: China’s Antarctic marine protected area has a Soviet name, with more Russian fingerprints emerging
After a decade of blocking marine reserves with Moscow, Beijing seems to have unveiled its own - in a Soviet-named sea. A Daily Maverick investigation uncovers a second Russian connection: a Chinese bid to rewrite the Southern Ocean’s conservation rules, which mirrors changes pushed by Moscow.
China has introduced a new marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica, named Cosmonauts Sea, with a Soviet-inspired name and apparent Russian influence. A recent investigation discovered that China has been obstructing the creation of MPAs in Antarctica for the past 15 years, mirroring similar moves made by Russia. The 105-page dossier submitted by Beijing to a CCAMLR meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, proposes the protection of the 127,000km² Cosmonauts Sea, emphasizing krill closures despite no actual krill being caught.
The dossier aims to modify CCAMLR's conservation rules, potentially stripping climate resilience from the MPA rulebook. As a result, any MPAs established under this proposal could expire after 20 years or be vetoed by a single member. Meanwhile, a Russian proposal from 2022 sought to tighten criteria for MPA proposals, including a decade-long delay for the Australia-led East Antarctic MPA.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
