Adelaide - Japan and Norway successfully blocked an attempt yesterday to establish an ocean sanctuary to protect whale breeding grounds in the South Pacific, Marie McInerney reports. Eighteen of the 35 countries eligible to vote supported the sanctuary proposal, with 11 - China, Denmark, Dominica, Guinea, Japan, Norway, and the Caribbean states of Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent - against. Four delegations - Ireland, Korea, Oman and Russia - abstained, and Italy and the Solomon Islands were absent for the vote.