Save ©olphins....©ont guy Tuna 



THE PROBLEN 



For some unknown biological reason,;/ 



■ .Xvellowhn tuna swim underneath schools of ( 



A ^CX^olphins Tuna fishermen, aware of thi.b 



yV Association, can find the deep swimming tuna 



/ V easily by spotting the leaping dolphins Until 



\ V^ Ahe sixties, the hook and line method of fishing 



\X X was used and dolphins were not disturbed ■ 



'V\ ^owever, with the introduction of the purse 



seine net, dolphins have been brutally 



V\ \ massacred by the millions While there are 



V\\ Several subspecies of dolphins and porpoise, it 



'is the spinner purpoise. spotted porpoise, and 



,fhe common dolphin which are being 



aughtered by the Pacific tuna fleet 



« The purse seine net is about 3 /i of a mile long 



^<ahd is placed around the whole dolphin school 



.and drawn shut like a drawstring purse 



Entrapping everything including the tuna 



swimming below. This technique is also called 



^'setting on" dolphins. 



/■t)olphins are air breathing highly intelligent, 



''social mammals. When they realize what is 



happening they panic and try desperately to 



escape Instead, they get their snouts and fins 



''entangled in the nets and drown, or are crushed 



/and mangled as they are pulled aboard in the 



/net. Some escape wounded and mutilated only 



JO become prey to sharks, or the young die, 



/having lost their mothers Although it is 



Climated that 97% of all dolphins entrapped 



'escape, the 3% which suffocated and drowned 



arnounted to 134,000 in 1975. That does not 



rtude those injured Moreover, it is estimated 



nat each dolphin in the dolphin populations 



/affected was chased and netted more than 1.4 



■ 



s 



^r^ 



//• 



-' 



times last year. HSU5 i believWno anirnalfchould 

 \be subjected to such torture and cruelty. 



THE SOLUTION 



The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 is 

 a federal act which includes a special section on 

 the so called "incidental" killing of dolphins by 

 tuna fishermen It gave the tuna industry two 

 years to develop new gear and techniques and 

 to attain the goal of near zero mortality and 

 injury of dolphins. At the end of two years, 

 little progress was evident. In fact, mor 

 dolphins were killed in 1975 (134,000) than 

 1974 (98,000). In late 1974, a number 

 conservation groups took the Government to 

 court saying they were not upholding the law 

 by allowing the continued kill of dolphins.. On 

 May 11, 1976, U.S. District Court Judge, 

 Charles R. Richey, ruled the tuna industry musf 

 stop setting their nets on dolphins by May 31, 

 1976. 



OBSTACLES 



Judge Richey's decision was appealed 

 immediately and the U.S Court of Appeals has i\ 

 allowed the industry to continue purse seinine \\ 

 until there's a new ruling*. In the meantime they\ , ' 

 can legally kill 78,000 dolphins during 1976.\\ 

 . Since the tuna industry claims it will go out of 

 . business if dolphins can't be used, some 

 members of Congress held hearings to try to 

 pass a law to override Judge Richey's decision. 

 Fortunately, nothing has passed yet. While. the 

 United States has demanded that other nations 

 close down their whaling industries jTnd abide 



.ircoutt' of V>p« rs *v"*id )"<%* Ri\*yVX 



decision but allowed the tuna industry foconbnur^ 



dolphins until January !*< i977. The fight is 



ic* in Congress so if j<rueial you h?t your 



gressman know now you feel to prevent any 



Weqjceniftg of the Marine Mammal 



JnAct. 



</ . ■ 



>Y 



