The “Dolphin-Safe” Industry
by Eugene Lapointe
July 30, 2013
Over the past 20 years, the preservation of dolphins has been a ubiquitous concern for consumers around the world. Dolphins are in the top division of charismatic fauna – along with elephants, rhinos, tigers and whales – and many people have been taken in by the propaganda of animal rights groups with their “save the…” fundraising campaigns.
The total and undiscriminating protection of wildlife has become a lucrative industry, often marketed at the younger members of society and reaping in hundreds of millions of dollars per year for environmentalist organizations. The truth is that many of these campaigns are based not on science but on a belief that it is wrong to kill an animal such as the dolphin under any circumstances. Yet today’s supposed solution – dolphin-safe labels – ultimately encourages the use of fishing methods that, in turn, impact other marine species. It is not a coincidence that this solution also sets tuna fisheries down a path that is unsustainable for future generations.
For decades, fishermen fished for tuna at the expense of many different species in the sea. The general public remained largely unaware of this fact until 1988 when Sam LaBudde, a “self-styled” biologist on a Panamanian fishing boat, released a video of dozens of dolphins being killed as the vessel fished for tuna. The incident sparked a public boycott of the tuna industry and initiated a campaign for what we now know as the “dolphin-safe” label – the label that purports to ensure, but fails to guarantee, that not a single dolphin was killed or injured to catch the tuna in your can.
But is this really conservation? Does this labeling system really protect the ocean’s ecosystem as we are led to believe?
The answer, of course, is no. Rather than focusing all of our efforts on a single animal, we should embrace an approach to fishing that creates a sustainable method to be passed on from generation to generation. Much like the Campaign for Eco-Safe Tuna, IWMC World Conservation Trust believes in the adoption of an authentic eco-safe certification system that would allow us to continue to catch and eat tuna while also preserving the oceans and its habitat for future generations.
Most people in the world eat fish and meat and that is not going to change any time soon. IWMC promotes understanding and respect for the different traditions and cultures found around the world, and particularly for their utilization of wildlife. We reject the view that wildlife can only be conserved through "total protection" and bans on hunting or fishing. Rather, we believe that wildlife should be carefully managed to ensure that it is available for future generations.
Eugene Lapointe is President of IWMC World Conservation Trust and was Secretary General of CITES from 1982-1990. He founded IWMC in 1994 to continue his work in global conservation. IWMC is a worldwide coalition of wildlife managers who believe the most powerful conservation tool is sustainable utilization of terrestrial and marine wildlife resources.
