Stop South Korea’s Whaling Scam – July 13, 2012

Nation Proposes to Continue Whaling via Trumped-up “Scientific Research” Program

At last week’s International Whaling Commission in Panama, the government of South Korea surprised member states with an announcement that they would shortly start killing whales under scientific permit, much like Japan does now.

Photo by Blake MaybankMinke Whale off Tadoussac, Quebec. Whaling is an outdated practice. The government of Korea
should join the twenty-first century in seeing that whales are worth more alive than dead.

For several years, the government of South Korea has made allusions to wanting to go whaling like the Japanese. But whaling commission delegates were still caught off guard when the Republic of Korea delegation announced their own… more

by: Mark J. Palmer

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‘Don’t Weaken the Dolphin Safe Label,’ Lawmakers Urge Obama – June 1, 2012

Misguided WTO Ruling Puts Dolphins at Risk, Misleads Consumers

Representative Ed Markey and 42 other Democrat lawmakers sent a letter to President Obama yesterday, urging him to threaten Mexico with cuts in economic assistance if it didn’t drop its case against the Dolphin Safe tuna at the World Trade Organization.

Photo by Mark Palmer/Earth Island Institute"The American people deserve to know whether or not the fish they eat was caught by
killing Flipper," say Rep Ed Markey.

“The American people deserve to know whether or not the fish they eat was caught by killing Flipper,” said Markey, who is ranking Democrat of the House Natural Resources Committee. “Dolphin-safe labeling of canned tuna has been successful in… more

by: Mark J. Palmer

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Dolphin Killing Declining in Japan – April 26, 2012

Market for Dolphin and Whale Meat Collapsing Due To Increased Awareness About Mercury Contamination

The mass slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, as depicted in The Cove documentary, is declining.  Earth Island’s Cove Monitors – volunteers who observe and record the dolphin hunts during the entire 5-month season from September through the end of February – estimate that fewer than 800 dolphins were killed this past season. In the 2010-2011 hunt season, 1,190 dolphins were slaughtered for food. Japanese supporters tell us the market for dolphin and whale meat is collapsing due to IMMP’s educational efforts about high levels of mercury in dolphin meat.

Photo by Arpad IkumaFewer than 800 dolphins were killed at the Cove in Taiji this… more

by: Mark J. Palmer

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Obama Administration to Appeal WTO Decision Against Dolphins – January 25, 2012

Mexico Is Seeking to Overturn the Dolphin Safe Label on Tuna

The Obama administration announced last week that it is in the process of appealing a 2011 decision by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that seeks to weaken the US Dolphin Safe tuna standards. The move has been applauded by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP), which established the international Dolphin Safe Tuna labeling program in 1990 and monitors tuna companies around the world for compliance.

Photo by Steve JurvetsonThe Mexican government uses a much weaker standard for calling canned tuna “Dolphin Safe.”

More than 7 million dolphins have been drowned by tuna boats since the practice of chasing and netting dolphins… more

by: Mark J. Palmer

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WTO Ruling on US ‘Dolphin Safe’ Tuna Label is a Mixed Bag – September 22, 2011

False Claims by Mexico and Other Nations Shouldn’t Weaken Label’s Standards

A World Trade Organization (WTO) decision on the “Dolphin Safe” tuna label has been making headlines lately, leading to speculation about what it means for the status of the label and the standards the tuna industry require to maintain to be eligible for it.

The label in question.

The international trade body’s decision has several good aspects, but it also muddied things.  A clarification is needed.

Backing up a bit, the WTO dispute panel ruled last week that the U.S. “Dolphin Safe” labels on tuna products could be overly burdensome and restrictive of trade, although the panel also ruled that the goals of the labels were legitimate,… more

by: Mark J. Palmer

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