The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has failed to come to an agreement that would protect regions of the Antarctic Ocean, reportedly due to interference from China, Russia, and the Ukraine.
The meeting, which took place in Tasmania, was spearheaded by New Zealand and the United States, according to BBC News.
Rejected proposals included a 1.9 million square kilometer reserve zone surrounding East Antarctica, and another that would have established a protected region of 1.6 million square kilometers in the Ross Sea.
The Antarctic Ocean Alliance's Steve Campbell told BBC News that "There are competing interests, in terms of commercial interests and in terms of economic control of these areas, we floundered essentially at the end of talks."
He adds, "At the end of the day, it seems like countries like Russia, Ukraine, and China couldn't really make it work - and we're hoping that at the next meeting they'll come with a stronger commitment to the conservation objectives of the commission."
CNN notes that demand for the region's resources has converged with a neglect of the acidification of Antarctica's waters and worsening climate change. The report cites the fact that the commission's goal is to protect 10 percent of the world's oceans.
The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition's Jim Barnes stated, "I am feeling sad and angry. This responsibility, and this failure, rests with all the members."
The commission's decision has been deferred to July 2013, but it remains to be seen if the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy will spark a renewed interest in climate control and conservation.