Tuna fishing. (Photo Credit: Greenpeace)
WORLDWIDEFriday, May 09, 2014, 23:40 (GMT + 9)
The Campaign for Eco-Safe Tuna claims Earth Island Institute (EII) must issue an immediate recall of the tuna caught during the fishing trips of the US fishing vessels blacklisted by Greenpeace after they were caught setting nets around marine mammals in violation of international marine protections.
In its blog, the organization accuses EII of remaining silent even when National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) levied over USD 1.5 million in fines for these violations as well as mentioning that five of the vessels in question are managed by South Pacific Tuna Corporation, which was set up as "a high-seas tuna fishing joint venture project between 4 of the world's largest seafood companies: Bumble Bee (US), Chicken of the Sea (US), Thai Union (Thailand), and FCF Fisheries (Taiwan).
On the other hand, David Phillips, Director of Int’l Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute, stated to FIS that this accusation includes “numerous gross distortions and misstatement of fact.”
According to Phillips, the violations alleged in this release took place in 2009, which is never stated in the material and the NOAA report clearly indicates that no dolphins were set on by these vessels.
“The NOAA report indicates that there were 5 sets in which an observer stated that he observed a pilot whale in the vicinity of where purse seine nets were to be set. In these instances the captain/fishing captain disputes that they were aware of a pilot whale or any marine mammal in the set area prior to setting,” the director stressed.
He commented to FIS that the NOAA report indicates that as soon as the captains realized that there was a pilot whale in the net area, the net pursing was ended to ensure that the whale was not in the net, also resulting in release of the vast majority of the tuna in those sets.
Furthermore, The Campaign for Eco-Safe Tuna remarked that there is public concern about “the ongoing endangerment of marine mammals by US fishing fleets,” but the organization considers that EII's dolphin safe label “continues to protect and defend tuna caught by these and other rogue vessels as "dolphin safe."
In this regard, EII stressed that “none of the vessels are listed as illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU), nor recommended to be listed as IUU by the relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO).”
In addition, EII believes that this is a legal matter that is still under adjudication and stated that the tuna companies can attest to the fact that vessel owners have taken the matter to court, no fines have been agreed or paid, and the vessel crew will contend in court that they did not intentionally set purse seine nets around marine mammals.
EII declared that “The Campaign for Eco-Safe Tuna is a front group lobbying firm for the Mexican tuna fleet and is intent on destroying the US dolphin-safe label and replacing it with a standard that allows dolphins to be chased, encircled, injured, and killed by purse-seiners.”