ECO 2012
the Voice of Conservation at the International Whaling Commission Annual Meeting
We work to make oceans safe for marine mammals worldwide. We strive to eliminate dolphin mortality caused by the international tuna fishing industry, to end the use of driftnets, and to stop tuna purse-seine fishers from encircling dolphins in their nets. In addition, we aim to stop the resumption of commercial whaling worldwide, to promote sustainable fishing, and to protect the habitat of whales, dolphins, and other marine species.
Press Release:
WTO Decision Sacrifices Dolphins and Consumers
The Dolphin Safe Tuna Label Cannot Be Weakened Simply Because Mexico Refuses to Comply
Mexico’s tuna industry continues to chase, net, and kill thousands of dolphins to catch the tuna that swim beneath. The government of Mexico has objected for years about the US Dolphin Safe label standards for canned tuna, insisting that Mexico’s tuna should be falsely labeled Dolphin Safe on US supermarket shelves.
Today’s WTO Appellate Panel decision claims the Dolphin Safe tuna label is a detriment to free trade with Mexico because, illogically, Mexico alone refuses to comply with the voluntary US standards of no encirclement of dolphins while fishing for tuna. Every other nation involved in tuna fishing (with the exception of Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia) follow the US standards for Dolphin Safe tuna. More…
Pressure Carnival to End Dolphin Shore Excursions!
News:
WTO Dispute Panel Backs US Objectives to Protect Dolphins, But Hedges on Details
Preserve the Commercial Whaling Ban!
Stop the Sell-out by the US Delegation to the Government of Japan and International Whaling Commission!
Help us in the campaign to end the Japan dolphin and whale slaughter!
Let your elected representatives and business leaders know how you feel. Select one of our letters or let them inspire you to write your own!
Want to know what's going on? Sign up for our bi-annual newletter and high-priority action alerts.
Be part of the solution and join our team!
The German Dolphin Conservation Society based in
Munich has been instrumental since 1990 in the issue of Dolphin Safe tuna monitoring and education. This was
the first non-governmental organization to assist Earth Island Institute by working with the German canned
tuna industry to verify the Dolphin Safe status of tuna supplies. We thank Rollo Gebhard and his
staff for their tireless work for dolphins.
References, research, history and more!
Want more? Here are some good places to start.
2150 Allston Way, Suite 460
Berkeley, CA 94704
510/859-9100 or fax 510/859-9093
marinemammal@earthisland.org
"Click on Your Choice for an Exciting Educational Kit!"
Press Release:
WTO Tuna/Dolphin Decision Mixed
WTO Dispute Panel Backs US Objectives to Protect Dolphins, But Hedges on Details
Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project stated today that a decision by a WTO dispute panel on use of the “Dolphin Safe” tuna label was a mixed one, but not at all a win for Mexico’s dolphin-killing tuna industry.
“The Mexican government is trying to spin this mixed decision into a win for their continuing to chase and net dolphins in pursuit of tuna,“ stated David Phillips, Executive Director of Earth Island Institute. “This is far from the truth. The WTO panel expressly stated that Mexico’s method does not meet the US’s legitimate objectives to ensure that tuna caught by methods that harm dolphins is not falsely labeled for consumers as ‘Dolphin Safe.’ ”More…
Press Release:
Why President Obama Needs to Block the Backroom Deal on International Whaling
Plans are underway to gut the international whaling moratorium first approved in 1982 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
The secret IWC deal, originally negotiated by the Bush administration, would allow Japan, Norway and Iceland to continue their slaughter of whales despite the existing IWC moratorium on commercial whaling. In fact, the deal would allow those countries to continue their illegal whale slaughter for commercial gain under the approval of the IWC, including whaling in the southern Antarctic Ocean whale sanctuary designated by the IWC. More…
The Cove Wins the Oscar! All Eyes Turn To Japan…
An Important Message from Ric O’Barry and the Save Japan Dolphins Campaign:
If you watched the Oscars, you saw me (holding the TEXT 44144 sign), Fisher Stevens and Director Louie Psihoyos accept the Best Documentary awarded by the Academy. Wow, what an incredible moment!
Without your support, this would never have happened. So, even though I wasn’t able to thank you all at the podium, I thank you all now.
But this has never been about winning awards. Our job is to end the slaughter and stop the poisoning. And now our work in Japan begins anew. We must focus like a laser on getting The Cove and our message to the Japanese people.
But there are threats on the horizon. Officials in Japan are threatening repercussions against university and community groups that dare to show The Cove. Dolphin-killing fishermen’s unions are threatening lawsuits against theaters that show the film. There are even some signs that I could face arrest in Japan, even though I’ve broken no laws whatsoever. More…
ECO, The Environmental Voice at the IWC
ECO is published by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project at the Annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission on behalf of environmental and animal welfare organizations around the globe.
Help Stop the Slaughter of dolphins in Japan!!
In several fishing villages in Japan, dolphins are herded in drive fisheries into shallow water and butchered for meat. But the dirty secret is that the dolphin drive fishery is subsidized by the aquarium and swim-with-dolphins trade around the world – the representatives of the captivity industry get to take their pick of healthy dolphins in the drive nets at thousands of dollars; the rest are slaughtered. Find out how you can help end this barbarous slaughter.
Press Release: Major Japanese Supermarket Chain Permanently Bans All Sale Of Dolphin Meat
Also available in Japanese (.pdf, ~100k). From The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition.
Our campaign for "dolphin safe" tuna has prevented the drowning in tuna nets of hundreds of thousands of dolphins. Dolphin deaths have decreased 97% in the past decade.
- Press Release: Judge Slams Seatech’s Effort To Weaken Dolphin Safe Tuna Label
Lawsuit Against Earth Island Institute Backfires - Alert: PACIFICAL is Not a Part of Earth Island Dolphin Safe Program
- News: Makili: Dolphin trade scares investor here (from the Solomon Star 09/23/09).
"A potential tuna investor may not invest here because of the country’s continued involvement in dolphin capture and trading…" - News: Makili: We should learn from PNG (from the Solomon Star 09/16/09).
"Solomon Islands should learn from the Papua New Guinea Tuna Industry experience if it wants to have more foreign investment in this area…" - News: Earth Islands slams Dongwon’s move (from the Solomon Star 09/15/09).
"Earth Island Institute (EII) said it would not comprise with Dongwon Industries of Korea who are planning to invest a tuna factory on Guadalcanal…" - News: SI dolphin deal set to air in PNG (from the Solomon Star 09/08/09).
"Solomon Islands ongoing dolphin capture and trading is set to air in Papua New Guinea (PNG) national television station…" - News: Park continue dolphin hunt (from the Solomon Star 09/01/09).
"Solomon Islands Marine Wildlife Park yesterday caught about nine dolphins at the Marine school seashore in Honiara…" - News: Leni prevented from tuna congress (from the Solomon Star 08/27/09).
"Solomon Islands Government was denied invitation to attend the 11th Tuna Congress in Philippines this month, due to the country's involvement in the controversial dolphin trading…" - Press Release (5/7/09): Maersk partners with Friend of the Sea and Earth Island’s Dolphin-Safe to ensure chain of custody and
to promote sustainable fishing
“Maersk will discourage and refuse the handling and shipping of tuna from companies declared by the Earth Island Institute as non-Dolphin-Safe. It will also work to provide Friend of the Sea total transparency over the containers carrying sustainable seafood certified by the international scheme.” - Press Release (4/7/09): Dolphin Safe Policy
Now Includes Ban on IUU Vessels
"A major problem in world fisheries is the involvement of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels, essentially pirate fishermen stealing fish from legitimate fishermen…" - News: Soltai concerned about Solomons move to resume dolphin exports
» Find out about Earth Island Institute's International Monitoring Program to ensure the "Dolphin Safe" label on tuna means what it says!
» Check out information about "Dolphin Safe" tuna for consumers: learn of current boycotts and how to report violations at markets,
» Keep the "Dolphin Safe" Tuna Label Honest: NO NETS ON DOLPHINS! Click Here to view Earth Island’s current list of Verified Dolphin Safe fishing and processing companies, and
» Click Here to view Earth Island’s current list of Verified Dolphin Safe importers, brokers, and retailers
The US Navy is prepared to unleash one of the loudest soundblasting sonar devices under the oceans, ostensibly to find "enemy" submarines. But instead of fighting mythical subs, the Navy's Low Frequency Active (LFA) Sonar program is fighting whales and other marine life. Find out what you can do to stop the Navy's soundblasting of our oceans.
» Ocean Noise Coalition — Earth Island has teamed up with the Ocean Mammal Institue and Seaflow to bring you the latest news and alerts on efforts to protect marine life and our oceans from increasing human-generated noise! Click here to learn more about this important coalition effort!
Earth Island Institute is coordinating with local grassroots groups and scientists to protect the declining orca populations in Northwestern Washington state and British Columbia. Click here to learn about our campaign effort.
Despite a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling, in effect since 1985, Japan and Norway continue to hunt whales, using loopholes in international agreements. There is no justification for killing whales anymore. Find out more about the International Whaling Convention and Earth Island's efforts to stop whaling forever.
Back Issues of ECO - Cutting-Edge Environmental Coverage from the IWC!
- » For issues from the IWC 2009 meeting in Rome, Italy, please click here!
- » For issues from the IWC 2008 meeting in Santiago, Chile, please click here!
- » For issues from the IWC 2007 meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, please click here!
- » For back issues from the IWC 2006 meeting in St. Kitts, please click here!
- » For back issues from the IWC 2005 meeting in Ulsan, Republic of Korea, please click here!
- » For back issues from the IWC 2004 meeting in Italy, please click here!
- » For back issues from the IWC 2003 meeting in Germany, please click here!
- » For back issues from the IWC 2002 meeting in Japan, please click here!
- » For back issues from the IWC 2001 meeting in London, please click here!