Conservation Minister Chris Carter is leaving for Tuvalu on Saturday morning to discuss whaling issues.
Japan holds a majority on paper at next month's International Whaling Commission meeting, and anti-whaling nations want to turn that around.
Tuvalu has voted with the pro-whaling nations in the past, but Carter hopes he can persuade it to abstain on some critical issues.
He says New Zealand can never compete with Japan in terms of the amount of money it can offer to Pacific nations, but it can offer conservation expertise and help promote eco-tourism opportunities around whaling.
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Carter says the Ministry will be providing $175,000 to Tuvalu to carry out a survey of whale and dolphin numbers in its waters.
