DOLPHIN-SAFE TUNA

Only tuna that conforms to the definition of "dolphin-safe tuna" set out by the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (IDCP) should be allowed to be labelled as such. So says a report by the Fisheries Committee, drafted by Duarte FREITAS (?PP-ED, PT), approving the signing of the IDCP Agreement by the Community, which will now be debated by the full Parliament. The agreement on the IDCP entered into force in February 1999. The monitoring of the levels of dolphin mortality linked to tuna fishing and the study of the causes of dolphin mortality during fishing operations are among the priorities of the agreement.

A further key aspect is the certification of tuna catches. The "dolphin-safe tuna" designation given in the certificate is granted only where no dolphins were reported injured or killed when the tuna was caught. If any animal is found to have been killed or injured, the tuna caught is not certified and may not be sold as "dolphin-safe". MEPs in the Fisheries Committee stress the importance of the Agreement on the IDCP in protecting sustainable fishing, and its certification scheme as a means of guaranteeing the ecological conservation of other species, particularly dolphins.

In their view, the aforementioned certification scheme can help consumers in their decisions related to the purchase of products linked to tuna fishing. The Fisheries Committee believes, therefore, that measures should be implemented in order to ensure that an adequate level of information about this eco-labelling is achieved and maintained for the benefit of consumers in Europe. The signing of the Agreement on the IDCP is necessary in order to join the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. This organisation regulates the fishing in the East-Pacific, one of the most important regions for tuna fishing. (Source: Europarl )