Japan on Tuesday said it has China's support in opposing a ban on the cross- border trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna that is now being debated at an international meeting in Qatar. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu said that 'we will do our best' to block a trade ban, which has US and European Union support, at the world talks on wildlife protection. 'China has not announced its stance officially, but is actively lobbying other countries to oppose' the ban, Akamatsu told reporters in Tokyo. 'There also are countries which are neutral or wavering.' Japan consumes three-quarters of the global catch of bluefin, which is highly prized in sushi and sashimi and can fetch more than 100,000 dollars per fish, and the government has said it would ignore a ban. Tokyo argues that bluefin is not facing extinction, although it acknowledges that the current size of catch is probably unsustainable. The solution, it insists, is stricter management of fisheries. Japan has been pushing its case at the meeting of the 175-nation Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In Seoul on Monday, the Japanese vice farm minister, Masahiko Yamada, pressed his South Korean counterpart to support Japan's position. 'The Tokyo side made sure that Seoul will continue cooperating with Japan on this issue,' an official said in Tokyo. So far, fewer than 40 of the approximately 150 countries in Doha have declared their intention to back a ban. The issue will be debated on Thursday, but a vote is unlikely before next week, officials said. A ban would require a two-thirds majority of the countries present. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said that 'although the situation is reportedly quite severe for (Japan), you can't tell what will happen.' 'Neither side has yet been able to forecast' the outcome, Okada told a news conference. 'It's important to act firmly in the remaining days.' Okada also said it was difficult to take preemptive action against expected protests by the militant environmental group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society against tuna fishing in the Mediterranean Sea. The group, which has harassed Japanese whaling in the Antarctic, has dispatched its ship the Steve Irwin to the Mediterranean to disturb operations to catch bluefin tuna, most of which are exported to Japan. 'They have stated that they will take action against tuna fishing vessels, but there isn't yet anything concrete,' Okada said. 'So, it's not so easy to take preventive measures at this stage.' 