A group of South Pacific nations is fighting to protect the
humpback whale, by creating a number of sanctuaries in the
region.
But they seem to be at odds with New Zealand, which is now
supporting a move for limited commercial whaling.
"Legitimising some form of commercial whaling in the southern ocean sanctuary is I think an affront on all of us who are trying to work on this issue for decades," says South Pacific Whale Research Consortium (SPWRC) spokeswoman Sue Taei.
SPWRC scientists are alarmed that the New Zealand government is backing a proposal to the International Whaling Commission for limited commercial whaling when it is trying to save them.
But New Zealand says it is a compromise to control large numbers of whales being hunted.
That New Zealand supports, even limited commercial whaling, has caused widespread fury in the Pacific.
Tokelau is now the latest Pacific nation to add another whale sanctuary across the Pacific.
"Personally I'm very very sad. A few years ago I remember being involved with the Whaling Commission and there has been a very strong stand by New Zealand in the past on whaling," says Aliki Faipule Foua Toloa, Tokelau traditional leader.
Ten countries across the South Pacific have marine sanctuaries covering more than 18 million kilometres of ocean from Australia to French Polynesia.
New Zealand has protection legislation in place but unsurprisingly the Solomons, Nauru and Kiribati who support Japan's pro-whaling stance have none.
A defiant message, calling on whale hunters to respect the whale sanctuaries, is to be sent to pro-whalers this week at the SPWRC's annual meeting in Auckland.
As well as launching a humpback whale recovery plan, the group is vocal about New Zealand's controversial move, which has been met with disbelief internationally.
"I think we're seeing considerable resistance now in the US that could turn into a real tidal wave of opposition," says SPWRC's spokesman Scott Baker.
That opposition is starting closer to home in a last-ditch bid to save the whale.
