After many years of an anti-whaling majority, the numbers appeared closer than ever in the lead-up to this year's IWC meeting in Ulsan, where securing the votes of the Pacific island members was considered critical by both camps.

Japan was seeking sanction to expand its scientific whaling program and, together with whaling nations Norway, Iceland, and Russia, to end the 19-year moratorium on commercial whaling.

While the anti-whaling side was successful in blocking the bids, the eligible Pacific delegations voted largely with the pro-whaling bloc to the disappointment of both Australia and New Zealand, which had been lobbying for their support.

Solomons turn-around
It was Solomon Islands' decision to vote with Japan that was greeted with the most surprise by Australian environment minister, Senator Ian Campbell, who had visited the Solomons along with Kiribati and Tonga to drum up support in the lead-up to the IWC meeting.

Senator Campbell said he was "disappointed" with the Solomons' vote after receiving a guarantee from Solomon Islands prime minister, Sir Allan Kemakeza, that the Solomons' delegation would vote against the expansion of the scientific whaling program and abstain from the vote on the resumption of commercial whaling.

While the Solomons had voted with Japan at past IWC meetings, Sir Allan had said his country would change its position this year in order to retain good relations with Australia as well as Japan.

Vote-buying allegations
Just one week before this year's IWC meeting, Japan and Solomon Islands held bilateral talks during which $US40 million Official Development Assistance (ODA) was pledged.

Some observers were quick to draw a connection but Solomon Islands government spokesman, Alfred Maesulia, said that his country's position had nothing to do with Japanese aid.

"All this aid to Solomon Islands from the Japanese government ... they're ongoing projects and we cannot connect them to the issue of whaling," he said.

However, two former Solomons IWC officials told the ABC's Four Corners program that Japan had paid for their IWC membership in return for support.

"The Japanese pay the government's subscriptions. They support the delegations to the meetings, in terms of meeting airfares and per diem," former permanent Secretary of Fisheries, Albert Wata said.

Fisheries minister, Nelson Kile, who led the Solomons' delegation for the last three years at the IWC said that Japan had being paying their IWC membership costs "probably for 10 years".

Japan denies paying fees for small nations or tying a pro-whaling vote to their ODA program, saying there are also anti-whaling nations which receive Japanese aid.

"We are sending overseas aid to more than 160 countries, and that's not connected to IWC," Japanese IWC delegation head, Joji Morishita, told ABC Radio.

But Greenpeace oceans campaigner, John Frizell, accused Japan of 'recruiting' the Pacific island states.

"The government of Japan makes no secret about the fact that they want to change the composition of the IWC to contain countries more friendly to them," he told ABC Radio.

Nauru was reportedly recruited to the IWC by Japan only the weekend before the meeting began, in a move Senator Campbell called "very suspicious". After arriving late, the Nauru delegation was only permitted to participate in the vote on an extension of scientific research in which they sided with Japan.

Marine resources a Pacific concern
Regarding Nauru's late sign-up, Mr Morishita said Japan would not assist with their IWC membership fees, and that it made sense for Pacific nations to have their own opinions on the issue.

"They are small island countries, and they have to depend on marine resources for their survival and the future viability as a country," he said.

His sentiments are backed up by Kiribati's decision to vote with Japan on a number of motions but abstain from the commercial whaling vote.

Kiribati foreign secretary, Taam Biribo, rejected accusations that its stance was in any way related to Japanese aid saying Kiribati is concerned that increasing whale numbers could impact on their fish stocks.

"Kiribati's position has been based very much on its concerns for the conservation of its marine resources...

"We're basically concerned that given that the fisheries resources are our main resource, that the issue of whaling is considered very carefully. And we have been asking for independent data to assist us in making a stance on this issue," Mr Biribo told Radio Australia.

Tuvalu made clear its intentions to vote for a resumption of commercial whaling well before the meeting began.

"We support the harvesting of all marine resources, of course including whale," Tuvalu's prime minister, Maatia Toafa, said while also calling for Australia and New Zealand to allow Tuvalu to make its own decision without outside pressure.

Will the vote affect relations?
While lobbying by the Australian and New Zealand environment ministers was seen as pressure by some nations, Senator Campbell says the Australian government would not try to get leverage through its aid program.

"I think threatening their aid and using those levers is really tantamount to doing what people accuse the Japanese of doing, and it's silly.

"We want to see good governance and good institutions in the Solomons and the other Pacific island nations. You don't do that by threatening their Cabinets to do something that you want. We should respect the fact they have a Cabinet process, they have their own agencies. We should build those institutions and treat them as sovereign nations and convince them of the arguments," he said.

New Zealand's environment minister, Chris Carter, was more outspoken in his criticism of the Pacific stance, saying it could impact on their relationship with New Zealand.

"It won't have an impact on the amount of aid that New Zealand gives, but it does have an impact on the relationship...

"I feel less confident about any assurances that we might be given by those three Pacific states in the future on how they might vote in international forums such as the IWC. That's a shame," he said.

Other Pacific perspectives
While the Pacific islands members voted largely in line with Japan's pro-whaling stance, the Australian and New Zealand position does have some support from non-IWC nations in the Pacific.

Melino Maka, chair of the Tongan Advisory Council, says Japan's whaling policy is a direct threat to Tonga's economic security and he urges South Pacific nations to create ecotourism ventures around whale watching.

The Tahiti government also put out an official declaration saying that French Polynesian waters are a haven for many species of marine mammals and they play an important role in whale reproduction.

"The Council of Ministers reiterates its support for efforts made within the international community, and particularly within the International Whaling Commission, to denounce and prohibit the resumption of hunting campaigns. It is also counting on the mobilization of all South Pacific countries," a statement quoted by news agency, Tahitipresse, said.

The future
While the vote may have tipped in the favour of anti-whaling nations this time, the process will be repeated again at the IWC meeting next year.

And if Japan does not make good its threat of abandoning its IWC membership, which side dominates next year may be determined by who lobbies current members the hardest, or who recruits the most sympathetic new members over the next 12 months.