Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Japan to discourage the annual killing of dolphins in the town of Taiji in Japan.

The UK Government raises its opposition to the annual coastal dolphin hunts that take place in Taiji, Japan, at every appropriate opportunity.

In July 2015, Minister of State for Farming, Food and Marine Environment, George Eustice MP, wrote to the Japanese Government to raise the UK’s opposition to their on-going coastal hunts and continued programme of lethal scientific research on cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises).

Prior to this, the UK Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) met the Japanese Commissioner to the IWC in May 2015 and officials from the Japanese Embassy in March 2015, where he strongly re-iterated the UK Government’s opposition to their continued hunting of cetaceans. Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Japan has also written previously to the Japanese Government on this issue.