From: "DR. KEN MARTEN" <porpoise@lava.net>
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 03:04:22 -1000
To: MARMAM@UVVM.UVIC.CA
Subject: TUNA-PORPOISE INFO WEBPAGE: http://www.earthtrust.org
E-MAIL REPLY ADDRESS: porpoise@lava.net
The international conservation organization Earthtrust in Hawaii has
now established a webpage devoted to giving up-to-date information
about the Clinton/Gore-backed "Dolphin Death Bill" which has now
passed through the House of Representatives and is being considered
in the Senate. The bill basically legalizes massive killing of
dolphins in the tuna fishery, and removes any legal basis for
dolphin-safe labelling or other meaningful monitoring of the
fishery.
The website is: http://www.earthtrust.org
Just click on the blue print that says "DOLPHIN HOTLINE
PAGE" at the top of the home page.
I personally am a former National Marine Fisheries Service porpoise
observer on tunaboats, as well as a cetacean research biologist, and
am apalled by how poorly the public (and Congress) is being informed,
and the consequent apathy and poor decision-making that is occurring
with tens of millions of dolphin lives at stake. The populations of
dolphins at risk are already heavily depleted.
As someone who has witnessed thousands of dolphin deaths at sea, you
can imagine my perspective on this issue compared to debating the
life or health of single dolphins or whales. An essential fact to
bear in mind is that the new legislation will set an annual quota of
5,000--a number that can (and almost certainly will) be killed in one
net set by one tunaboat in one hour. Also, with a quota in place and
zero realistic way to monitor the kill (as a former porpoise observer
myself, I can state with some authority that the proposed observer
program would be futile-- see my testimony to Congress on the
webpage), it is basically open season again on the dolphins.
The webpage consists of information to help fill the information gap.
Decisions and actions are of course left to the reader. Marmam
subscribers are already people who care about marine mammal
conservation. There is zero question in my mind that this is the weak
link in the marine mammal conservation chain. Each reader should also
ask himself if the actions of Congress appear to properly represent
other consumers/constituents as well. Talk to other people. Spread
the word, especially outside the marine mammal community.
Finally, what if we discuss the issue some on Marmam? It's worth a
good rumble! Above all, if you have anything to say, say it to your
Senators.
Here is a brief summary by my colleague Mark Palmer of Earth Island
Institute, which also appears as an introduction and summary at the
beginning of the webpage:
S.39 was developed by the government and tuna fishing industry of
Mexico, with the support of the Clinton Administration and the
Wise-Use Movement. If approved by the Senate, S.39 would virtually
REPEAL U.S. dolphin protection laws. The House companion bill,
H.R.408, was recently approved by the Republican-dominated House of
Representatives.
S.39 repeals current embargoes on import and sale of tuna caught by
mile-long purse seine nets, which drown thousands of dolphins each
year.
Furthermore, the legislation would change the definition of
"dolphin-safe" tuna to allow chase, injury, netting, harassment, and
killing of dolphins, as long as an observer zero reports any dolphins
dying outright. This false "dolphin-safe" definition constitutes
consumer fraud of the highest order, all to placate the tuna fleets
of Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. The legislation would also allow
U.S. tuna fleets to again set the deadly nets on schools of
dolphins.
Over the past four decades, more than 7 million dolphins have been
killed in tuna nets, which are used deliberately to target schools of
dolphins to catch the tuna that swim beneath. Earth Island Institute
and other organizations launched an international boycott of tuna in
1988 to stop the killing of dolphins by the tuna industry.
In 1990, the three largest American tuna companies announced that
they would only accept tuna caught by methods known to be 'safe' for
dolphins. Congress quickly followed up, outlawing the import and sale
of tuna caught by netting dolphins.
The U.S. market is now 100% "dolphin-safe"; Canada, Europe, and
Australia are also almost entirely "dolphin-safe", covering more than
90% of the world's canned tuna markets. Observed deaths of dolphins
in the tuna fishery have dropped from more than 100,000 annually in
the late 1980's to only 2,574 last year.
In addition to undercutting years of progress in dolphin protection
efforts, S.39 would benefit the drug trade in Latin America. The two
largest cocaine busts in maritime history happened aboard two tuna
fishing vessels in 1995 and 1996, amounting to tons of cocaine
destined for offloading in Mexico for shipment across the U.S.
border. Evidence is mounting that major portions of the tuna industry
have been bought by the notorious Cali Cartel and Mexican drug gangs,
including the Tijuana cartel.
The Dolphin Death Act was defeated in Congress last year, through the
filibuster threat of Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and thousands of
activists like you! Now the bill is back.
Why are the Clinton Administration and members of Congress supporting
the repeal of U.S. dolphin protection laws and opening a pipeline for
the deadly cocaine trade of Colombia and Mexico? Will they sacrifice
dolphins on the altar of free trade?
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION
What is needed is a flood of phone calls, faxes, and e-mail sent to
members of the U.S. Senate, urging them to oppose S.39, the Dolphin
Death Act.
If you need to know who your Senators are, contact your local
Registrar of Voters or City Hall. Information on contacting
individual members of Congress is available on the Internet (check
the Planet Ark web page, for example, for information on contacting
members of Congress on this issue.)
The Capitol Switchboard number is (202) 224-3121 -- ask to be
connected with your Senator's office.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN. CALL EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE (415)
788-3666 FOR ADDITIONAL INFO., OR CLICK ON THE E-MAIL ICON TO SEND
E-MAIL TO DR. MARTEN AT EARTHRUST IN HAWAII.
And, that's it, folks. Have a look at the webpage and see what YOU
think. Tell others. Let's at least get informed.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Marten
Dr. Ken Marten Phone: (808) 259-8264
Director of Research FAX: (808) 235-7519
Earthtrust - Project Delphis e-mail: porpoise@lava.net
25 Kaneohe Bay Dr. website: http://www.earthtrust.org
Kailua, HI 96734
U.S.A.