Bush hates dolphins

The US has certified Mexican tuna "dolphin safe", allowing it to use that label while continuing dolphin-unsafe fishing methods.

The decision ends a decades-long battle between the US and Mexico. As one environmental group put it:

"The Bush administration is selling out dolphins in order to reward Mexican tuna millionaires," David Phillips, director of the environmental group's International Marine Mammal Project, said in the statement. "If the secretary's decision is left intact, 20,000-40,000 dolphins each year will be sacrificed and falsely labeled Mexican tuna will be on the U.S. market as 'dolphin safe.' We cannot allow that to occur."

Note that Mexican tuna was allowed to be sold in the US, just not with the "dolphin safe" label. This decision makes a mockery of the label.

The Clinton Administration attempted to do the same back in 2000 (Democrats aren't blameless), but the Commerce Department's decision back then was overturned by a federal appeals court. This decision will be headed back to the courts.

Posted January 02, 2003 08:33 AM | Comments (13)