SYDNEY: International efforts to create two vast marine sanctuaries to protect the pristine wilderness of Antarctica failed Friday for the fifth time, but delegates said China's support for one reserve and Russia's commitment to further talks gave them hope.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting closed Friday with no agreement on the two proposed areas, designed to protect species including whales and penguins.

Officials said China had at the last minute indicated it would support one of these reserves in the Ross Sea, which is known as the “Last Ocean” because it is considered the only intact marine ecosystem left on Earth.

But it was ultimately blocked by Russia, which along with China also stopped a proposal for a marine protected zone in the East Antarctic coastal region, the Antarctic Ocean Alliance of environmental groups said. “It is appalling that while the majority of CCAMLR members are more than ready to create significant marine protected areas in Antarctic waters, China and Russia have blocked efforts to negotiate a successful outcome,” said the alliance's Jill Hepp.

Both proposals have now been shot down five times at the annual CCAMLR meetings, which require consensus from all 24 members countries and the European Union to progress. But delegates welcomed China's support for the Ross Sea sanctuary, which it had blocked in previous years, saying it made a future deal more likely.

“That's important because now only one country remains that isn't supportive and so we're closer. This is an important country to have gotten on board,” head of the US delegation Evan Bloom told AFP.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully also welcomed China's support as a “major step”, saying the proposal was designed to balance scientific, environmental and fishing interests.

“We also welcome Russia's statement that it is open to working with members on the MPA ahead of the next CCAMLR meeting in 2016,” he said.