Tuna fishermen in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean know that schools of yellowfin tuna swim beneath dolphin pods. Since 1950, while targeting dolphins in pursuit of tuna, these fishermen have inadvertently caught and killed over six million dolphins. Such mortality prompted congress to create the "dolphin-safe tuna" label in 1990 that prohibits the intentional netting of dolphins. Since then, annual dolphin mortality has decreased from more than 100,000 to about 3,000. But for years, Mexico has used the encirclement method of tuna fishing and has been denied our dolphin-safe label for intentionally catching dolphins in their nets. Advocates claim this method of chasing down dolphins has resulted in much higher dolphin mortality rates than reported – from injuries, separation of calves from mothers, and heart-damaging physiological stress. Some depleted dolphin stocks including the Northeastern offshore dolphin, the coastal spotted dolphin, and the eastern spinner dolphin are only now beginning to recover.

Proposed Legislation: H.R.774 - Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 (114th Congress 2015-2016)
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Don Young (AK)