asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking to investigate the allegations of Japan’s illegal catches of southern bluefin tuna, which is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources as critically endangered.[HL7309]

The issue is being investigated by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT). The United Kingdom is not a member of the CCSBT. However, we are actively involved in a global initiative to fight illegal fishing through work on the High Seas Task Force on Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing, which was chaired by my honourable friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Ben Bradshaw). Other partners in the task force are members of the CCSBT.