The European Union and 24 countries on Friday signed an agreement to create the world’s largest marine park in the Antarctic Ocean, Reuters reported. The Ross Sea marine park will cover more than 12% of the Southern Ocean at 1.55 million sq km, and the agreement protects its waters from commercial fishing for 35 years.

The deal was signed in Tasmania after negotiations, which were conducted by the United Nation’s Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, according to CNN. While fishing will be completely banned in 1.1 million sq km of the designated park, some fishing of krill and sawfish will be allowed in designated research zones.

Scientists said the creation of the park will also allow them to study the impact of climate change. World Wildlife Fund Australia Ocean Science Manager Chris Johnson said the water body was “near pristine”. “...And how many near pristine parts of the ocean do we have left on the planet?” Johnson said. However, the creation of the park for 35 years is a matter of concern for some as the World Conservation Union requires such a protected marine area to be designated permanently, according to The Guardian.

The negotiations took around five years to complete, with opposition from China and Russia, which have fishing industries in the region. United States state department official Evan Bloom said that while Washington and other countries favoured permanent protections, the compromise of 35 years “was necessary in order for this to be adopted”.

The adoption of the treaty came just a day after a WWF report said that global wildlife declined by 58% between 1970 and 2012. Fifty percent of ecotype-C killer whales, 40% of Adelie penguins and 25% of emperor penguins live in the area covered by the newly-created marine park, according to UN statistics.