It's About Animals

The "encirclement" method of fishing allows tuna fishers to follow pods of free-swimming dolphins and to use nets to encircle them in order to catch the tuna that swim below them. In many cases, these highly intelligent, marine mammals are caught in the nets and are severely injured or killed by drowning. The catch cannot be labeled "dolphin safe" if a single observer assigned to the watch spots an acutely injured or dead dolphin. Since this kind of fishing involves long, rigorous stressful chases before the net encircles the pod of dolphins, an observer isn't likely to spot every injury to or death of a dolphin.

This system can also result in mixed catches of "dolphin safe" and "dolphin deadly" tuna. In some cases, all tuna is stored in the same well on the boat. Only after returning to port is it estimated which proportion of the fish may be labeled "dolphin safe." Therefore, consumers cannot be assured that the particular tuna they purchase was not caught because of the serious injury or death of dolphins. Since money is the motivator for the fishers, do we really believe that they are going to be honest in this problematic reporting and storage system?

The "encirclement" method of tuna fishing seriously endangers dolphin populations. Since the enactment of U.S. and European dolphin protection laws, the worldwide deaths of dolphins drowned in tuna nets dropped from 133,000 in 1986 to fewer than 2,000 in 1998. Humane Society of the United States, (HSUS) marine mammal scientist Dr. Naomi Rose argues that encircling dolphins threatens their recovery from the massive mortality caused by tuna fishing before 1990. "Encircling dolphins with nets represses their reproductive capacity to the point where dolphin populations are not recovering," said Rose.

When it comes to fighting wars, the United States government is a tough contender. However, when it comes to economic threats, it would seem that they fold like a cheap suitcase. What can you do? Write to Vice President Al Gore. Tell him that you do not want him to weaken the original definition of "dolphin safe" tuna. Tell him you do not want "dolphin-deadly" tuna to come into the U.S. market. Tel him he should listen to the Commerce Department's own scientists, whose report does not support a weakening of the definition of "dolphin safe". Contact the "environmentally friendly" man who wants to be our next president: Write to Vice President Al Gore, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20500 or call 202-456-1414 or fax 202-456-2461.

Bob DeFranco is an animal behavior therapist, director of the Animal Behavior Center of New York and president of the American Foundation for Animal Rescue, Inc. in Queens. Watch him on the Companion Animal Network, QPTV Channel 34, Wednesdays at 8:30 PM and listen to him on NewsTalk WEVD 1050 AM, Saturdays at 5:00 P.M. beginning February 12, 2000. Questions or comments? Write P.O. Box 7623, Rego Park, NY 11374 or e-mail him at: bob@canines.com

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