Don't Let the Bush Administration Gut Dolphin Protection! Help Prevent Weakening of the standards for the "Dolphin Safe" tuna label and other Marine Mammal protections. Posted 28 March, 2002 by International Marine Mammal Project See other links at bottom of page
Urgent Whaling Alert!
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Update and what you can do to help stop the Navy's dangerous LFAS technology and beached whales, dolphins, etc.
Tuna fishermen in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) target dolphins because
tuna and dolphins form mixed schools. Since the late 1950's, the tuna fishery
has killed more than 7 million dolphins. However, since 1990 and the advent of
the "Dolphin Safe" tuna program, dolphin deaths have decreased by 97% in the ETP.
The "Dolphin Safe" tuna label has saved the lives of thousands of dolphins.
The "Dolphin Safe" label now prohibits use of any tuna caught by chasing and
netting of dolphins by fishermen (e.g. non-encirclement of dolphins).
However, politically connected tuna millionaires in Mexico, Colombia, and
Venezuela teamed up with free-trade advocates in the Bush Administration to
undercut U.S. dolphin protection laws and open U.S. markets to dolphin-deadly tuna.
The Secretary's finding on the "Dolphin Safe" label is supposed to be based on
science, but the politics of trade is winning out over the lives of dolphins.
What You Can Do!
Write a letter to Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans:
Tell him not to weaken the standards for the "Dolphin Safe" tuna label.
Dolphins should not be chased and netted to catch tuna; there are alternative
fishing methods that do no harm to dolphins.
Tell him you will not buy tuna caught by chasing and netting dolphins. Tell him
scientists have shown that chasing and netting dolphins causes significant,
adverse impacts on dolphin populations, including preventing their recovery from
depletion and separating dependent calves from their mothers.
Ask him to add your letter to the Official Decision Record.
Send a copy to:
THANK YOU! for your efforts on behalf of dolphins |
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