Representatives from five Pacific Island nations will tour New Zealand this week as part of a marine mammal watching study.
The eight-day tour of the country includes dolphin and whale watching tours, discussions with operators and iwi, and a range of workshops with scientists and tourism consultants.
Department of Conservation (Doc) spokesman Mike Donoghue said New Zealand was "doing its biggest bit yet'' to support sustainable marine watching operations in the Pacific.
Representatives from Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Niue, Tonga and Samoa would receive expert advice with a focus on potential opportunities for their own nation, he said.
"One of the strongest arguments for the conservation of marine mammals in the Pacific region is the potential economic benefits that can accrue from watching operations.
"The 10 participants will be building their own commitment and action plans throughout the tour, based on the issues their countries face, feasibility studies already conducted, discussions with each other and interaction with New Zealand experts and operators,'' Mr Donoghue said.
Last year, a shipment of 28 live bottlenose dolphins was flown from the Solomon Islands to an aquatic park in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai, despite protests from New Zealand and Australia.
As the mammals were being loaded, three dead dolphins were found near the firm's holding pens outside the Solomons' capital, Honiara.
The Solomon Islands banned the live dolphin export trade in 2003 following an outcry over a consignment of 28 bottlenose dolphins to an aquatic park in Mexico. Activists claimed at least nine of the dolphins died in Mexico.
A landmark court ruling in December 2006 paved the way for dolphin exports to resume.
After the court ruling, the Solomon Islands Government quickly changed its position on the trade.
