Abstract:

After 5 years of negotiations, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources reached consensus in October 2016 on the establishment of the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area (RSRMPA) in the Antarctic. During the negotiations, some states expressed concerns out of fear and suspicion that control would be enforced in accordance with the boundaries defined by the territorial claims, and that fishery rights would be curtailed. Concerns over states’ claims for rights and interests prolonged the negotiation. Consensus on the establishment of RSRMPA can at least in part be attributed to compromises reached among different states. China is motivated to become a key player in the establishment and management of Antarctic Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) because MPAs may facilitate a new approach to Antarctic marine ecosystem protection. To achieve this goal, China needs to learn from the experience of the RSRMPA negotiations, gain knowledge about states’ rights and interests claims in MPA proposals, enhance negotiation skills, become actively involved in MPA regime making, and promote scientific research to improve the scientific understanding of MPAs.

Key words: Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area, Antarctic, state rights and interests