Whale sanctuary goal in reach

New Zealand is forging a coalition of South Pacific nations committed to banning whaling in their waters after repeatedly being frustrated in its attempts to set up an internationally recognized whale sanctuary in the area.

New Zealand is working on the ‘‘nation-state’’ strategy for protecting whales, after accepting it is unlikely to win enough support at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) for creating a South Pacific sanctuary, conservation minister Sandra Lee said today.