A row over Tuvalu's membership of the International Whaling Commission is set to cause further disruption at the group's annual meeting.
The Tuvaluan government denies it's been offered money by Japan in order for it to tip the balance in its favour, and allow commercial whaling to restart.
Environmental groups say the Commission's ban on commercial whaling is already openly flouted by several member countries.
The IWC meeting begins in the Italian town of Sorrento tonight
