"Dolphin-Safe" Tuna Label is Focus of Essay Contest
Students Have a Chance to Keep Dolphin-Safe Label Truly Dolphin-Safe
(03/19/2003) - WASHINGTON—Defenders of Wildlife has launched an essay contest that focuses on protecting the “dolphin-safe” label on tuna cans. The organization hopes to give students in grades one through twelve the opportunity to play an important role in making sure the label “dolphin-safe” continues to mean what it says.“This contest is an excellent way for America’s youth to get involved in important environmental protection work, and to learn more about dolphins and their marine ecosystem at the same time," said Bill Snape, vice president and chief counsel at Defenders of Wildlife. "We have no doubt that the vast majority of Americans, including students, will insist that the Administration keep dolphin-safe tuna truly dolphin-safe."
The spokesperson for this contest is Amanda Beard. Amanda is a four-time Medalist swimmer from 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games. Amanda is from Irvine, California, where she has spent most of her life around the water. She now attends the University of Arizona and is nurturing a long-time interest in environmental protection and marine issues.
“The Department of Commerce has decided it may allow tuna caught by dolphin-deadly fishing methods onto American shores, yet still be labeled 'dolphin-safe.' Defenders and I are calling on school students across the U.S. to get involved in order to stop the harming of innocent dolphins while catching tuna," said Beard. "I am committed to dedicating every free moment I have to educating students about this issue, and I hope that kids from around the country will participate in this contest and help us protect these incredible mammals."
For reasons not completely understood, schools of yellowfin tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean swim directly below dolphins. Fishing vessels chase dolphins to locate tuna and encircle the area with fishing nets to catch the tuna below. Many dolphins drown in the tuna nets or suffer severe stress after being caught. More than seven million dolphins have died over the last several decades because of this practice. Consumer outcry over the slaughter of dolphins led U.S. tuna fleets to stop this practice, and it led to the development of dolphin-safe fishing practices and labeling. The Department of Commerce, a federal agency, now plans to allow foreign tuna caught using the encirclement technique to be packaged with the dolphin-safe label.
With the Department of Commerce poised to weaken the dolphin-safe label to include dolphin-deadly fishing methods, Defenders of Wildlife is calling on students nationwide to participate in this contest titled “The Importance of Protecting the Dolphin-Safe Label.” The contest empowers children to speak out for the protection of dolphins by writing a letter to the President of the United States to show their support for the stronger dolphin-safe label.
First-, second-, and third-place winners will receive U.S. savings bonds of $1,000, $500, and $250 respectively. In addition, the three schools with the most entries will each receive a $1,000 donation.
Defenders of Wildlife must receive essays by April 25, 2003. For informational resources, students can visit Defenders of Wildlife’s Kids’ Planet website, www.kidsplanet.org and its main website, www.defenders.org.
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation’s most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 430,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on environmental issues. For timely information on environmental issues, visit www.defenders.org and subscribe to DENLines, a free e-mail alert newsletter.
Contact(s):
Carrie Boron, (202) 772-0284
