If you read food labels before you buy them you’ve probably seen the dolphin-safe label on many brands of canned tuna. This image is not intended to tell you that the product is safe for dolphins to eat or even to suggest that the can contains dolphin meat mixed with the tuna. It is intended to let you know that no dolphins were intentionally caught or harmed when the tuna was caught.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Ring of Fire | 2019-05-23 22:00:02 |  7,987 Views |
Those “Dolphin Safe” Tuna Labels Are a Complete Lie Lawsuit Claims
You may be wondering what catching dolphins has to do with catching tuna. Most tuna do not swim with dolphins but yellowfin tuna have been known to congregate with several species of dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. One of the most common ways fishermen catch large numbers of fish at once is through purse seining where a large vertical net encloses the fish and closes at the bottom like a drawstring purse. When fishermen attempt to catch this particular species of tuna using purse seining methods they catch dolphins along with the real target. This form of fishing began to become a problem in the 1950s when the demand for canned tuna increased. Millions of dolphins drowned in tuna fishing nets due to this practice. It would take decades for this to be finally addressed.
In 1990 the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPICA) was passed to impose a global ban on driftnet fishing on the high seas. It also protects the Pacific dolphin population from potential dangers caused by swarming and tailing purse seine fishing. Under this law it is illegal for canned tuna to carry the dolphin-safe label on their products if the fishing methods are not dolphin-safe (as outlined by DPICA).
On May 21 1998 the United States became a party to the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP) which entered into force in February 1999. Countries such as Columbia Ecuador Honduras and more signed the agreement to eliminate dolphin mortality bycatch of juvenile tuna and non-target species. Additionally a tuna monitoring program was created under this agreement. The goal of the program is to monitor the production and importation of all tuna products to ensure they meet federal labeling requirements for dolphin-safe products.
