Labels stating that tuna is “dolphin-friendly” are misleading consumers into believing that the fish they are eating has been caught using environmentally friendly techniques, campaigners say.
The labels indicate only that the fishing methods employed to catch the tuna have avoided the incidental killing of any dolphins. The certification system fails to assess any other measure of sustainability.
Although dolphins have been afforded a degree of protection from tuna fleets, other marine creatures are still commonly caught and killed as bycatch from tuna fishing, particularly rare turtles and sharks.
Moreover, tuna are being fished out of existence because they are