The European Union together with a further 24 countrues agreed on on Friday to create the world's largest marine park in the Antarctic Ocean.

The Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources sealed the deal at an annual meeting in Hobart, Tasmania following years of negotiations. A protected area will be established in the Ross Sea, which is regarded as one of the world's most ecologically important areas of ocean.

The Commission says the park will cover an area of more than 1 and a half million square kilometers. Around 1 point 12 million square kilometres of it will be a no-fishing zone.