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East-West hostility may stall Ross Sea conservation

A proposal to protect one of the most pristine marine ecosystems on the earth, Antarctica’s Ross Sea, could be jeopardized by growing tensions between Russia and the West, say environmentalists involved in next week’s high-level meeting on the plan. The two countries first blocked plans for the reserve in 2011 but, according to one environmentalist who asked to remain anonymous, CCAMLR negotiations took a downturn in 2013 when Russia granted asylum to National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, prompting President Barack Obama to cancel a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Read the rest here 12:30