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| ASPCA
Condemns Clinton Administration For Destroying Dolphin-Safe Standard |
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NEW
YORK - April 29 - The ASPCA strongly denounced today's ruling from Commerce Secretary
William Daley that will once again cause the injury and death of millions of dolphins
in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Contrary to reliable scientific evidence, the
secretary has concluded that chasing and netting dolphins during tuna fishing
operations is not causing dolphins significant harm.
The decision was reached despite studies by the department's own scientists and
others showing that depleted dolphin stocks are not recovering and that some populations
may in fact still be decreasing. Scientists attribute the lack of recovery and
population decreases to the stress of the chasing and netting fishing practice,
also known as "encirclement."
As a result of today's decision, the "dolphin-safe" label on canned tuna, which
up until now has meant the tuna was caught without netting and killing dolphins,
will now be used on tuna caught by the dolphin-deadly practice of "encirclement"
"Encirclement is a cruel practice that kills thousands of dolphins a year," said
ASPCA President Dr. Larry Hawk. "How can chasing, harrassing, entagling and killing
dolphins be considered dolphin-safe? It can't and the only ones who don't understand
that are the Clinton administration and the foreign countries it wants to appease
for the sake of trade."
The ASPCA believes Secretary Daley's decision shows a triumph of politics over
science, and over the demands of the American people, who have clearly demonstrated
their ongoing support for dolphin protection. Consumer pressure to end the killing
of dolphins by the tuna fishery triumphed in the early 1990s with passage of a
law requiring that only canned tuna labeled as "dolphin safe" be sold in the United
States and defining "dolphin safe" as "no encirclement" of dolphins. Today's finding
will open the U.S. market to dolphin-deadly tuna hiding behind the trusted dolphin-safe
label.
"The ASPCA will not allow today's finding to be the last word on dolphin protection
and will work to restore the "dolphin-safe" label to its no-encirclement standard,"
said Hawk. "It is also our goal to educate people on just how cruel the practice
of chasing and netting dolphins really is, and what people can do to help."
The public can voice their opposition to the secretary's decision by visiting
the ASPCA's Web site at www.aspca.org and following
the "Animals Need Your Help" link. Individuals will be able to send a letter immediately
to the Secretary of Commerce protesting the weakening of U.S. standards for dolphin-safe
tuna. ASPCA members and supporters have already sent thousands of letters to the
three major tuna companies, Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and Star Kist, who
as a result have pledged to continue to abide by their no-encirclement" policies
for purchasing tuna. However, others will be free to sell their dolphin-deadly
tuna to American consumers.
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