Fishermen devise way to catch tuna, protect dolphins

Latin Americans want piece of U.S. market

May 27, 1996
Web posted at: 5:00 p.m. EDT

From Correspondent Harris Whitbeck

ENSENADA, Mexico (CNN) -- In the United States, you can't buy tuna from countries that trap their catch with nets that also capture nearby dolphins.

But fishermen from several Latin American countries, who want another chance at the U.S. market after a seven-year ban, say they've perfected a way to protect dolphins while fishing for tuna.

The solution -- divers who get into the water and lead the dolphins away from the tuna nets -- is being used by some fishermen in the eastern Pacific. They call it a dolphin-safe method, and some environmental groups agree.

Dolphins good for business

According to the Mexican tuna industry, the new method makes the number of dolphins killed during a tuna hunt statistically insignificant.

Fishermen say that in the eastern Pacific, 3,000 dolphins from a population of 10 million die during a year's worth of tuna fishing. A Mexican fishing boat can harvest up to 1,000 tons of tuna on an average six-week trip.

Alejandro Calvillo, director of the Mexican chapter of the environmental group Greenpeace, doesn't believe the ban is necessary. He considers it an effort to protect U.S. commercial interests by blocking Latin American access to the lucrative U.S. tuna market.

Taking precautions to save dolphins is simply good business, argues tuna fleet owner Alfonso Rossino. "(Dolphins) are the most important signal to find the best fish."

A vote in the U.S. House recently led to the first step toward lifting the ban on Latin American tuna. A Senate vote is expected soon.

Related story:

• Environmental groups disagree on action to save dolphins - March 8, 1996

Related sites:

• Greenpeace-Mexico
• Dolphin-safe tuna brands (International Marine Mammal Project)
• Greenpeace congressional testimony on tuna and dolphin February 29, 1996

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