New WTO Ruling May Jeopardize 'Dolphin Safe' Tuna Labels in U.S.

[amborin]

Ruling May Jeopardize Dolphin Safe Label

A ruling on Thursday by the World Trade Organization could imperil “dolphin safe” labeling on tuna in the United States.


Department of Commerce Mexico had complained to the international arbiter that American labeling rules,
which bestow dolphin-safe labels only on fishing fleets that do not use a netting method known as purse
seining, discriminate against Mexican producers. (Purse seining involves setting up a wall of netting
around fish and then “pursing” the bottom to capture them.)


The World Trade Organization ruled that the American rules do not discriminate against Mexican producers.
Nonetheless, it said that the nation’s rules were more restrictive than they needed to be to protect
dolphins and inform consumers.

The impact of the decision was being debated on Thursday as experts analyzed hundreds of pages of details.
Andrea D. Mead, a spokeswoman for the United States trade representative’s office, which argued the case
for the United States, said the agency was considering whether to appeal. She said that her office was
“very concerned” by the finding.

snip

Dolphins and tuna tend to swim together, particularly in the tropical Pacific waters
off Mexico and Central America. In the 1950s, with the advent of strong nets fashioned
with artificial materials and the introduction of hydraulic crane power, fishermen exploited
this relationship to track the tuna, encircle them in massive nets and carry out large-scale captures.
That led to the deaths of millions of dolphins.

snip

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/ruling-may-jeopardize-safe-dolphin-label/?ref=science

[msongs]

1. constitutional right to free speech trumps parasite paper pushers nt

[amborin]

3. huh?

[joeybee12]

2. This sucks...knr