Swiss supermarkets first to sell guaranteed “dolphin-safe” tuna
Switzerland's two largest supermarket chains, Migros and Coop, have introduced a new "dolphin-safe" label for tuna sold in their stores. The new label guarantees that dolphins are not harmed in the process of fishing for tuna.
The two Swiss chains have teamed up with the Swiss Working Group for the Protection of Sea Mammals (WPSM) to promote the new label, which is the first in the world to guarantee that dolphins are not harmed in the process of fishing for tuna.
The WPSM supports the International Dolphin-Safe Monitoring Program (IMP), which has run by the Earth Island Institute since 1991. Fishermen and traders who adhere to the programme do not use drift nets or sell tuna caught in areas where dolphins are present.
In an interview with swissinfo, Mark Berman, the assistant director of Earth Island, said the new label provides a guarantee that no dolphins were injured in the netting of tuna.
“The label offers an assurance,” he said, “that there has been no chasing, netting, injuring or killing of dolphins whatsoever.”
IMP employees monitor compliance by checking fishing equipment on boats as well as the processing and sale of the fish. So far, 300 fishing concerns follow the programme’s rules, equivalent to almost 85 per cent of all canned tuna sales.
The new label can be used by other distributors and stores, but only if their tuna complies with the IMP. “We hope others will follow the lead of Migros and Coop”, said Sigrid Lüber, president of the WPSM.
Earth Island hopes that other countries will now follow Switzerland’s lead. “We are confident that the UK and Germany will soon follow suit,” said Berman, “but the Swiss market will be the first to have the standardised label.”
Michael Gunther, head of canned goods purchasing at Migros, told swissinfo that consumers now have a clear choice when buying tuna: “There are many different labels in Switzerland, all of which claim to be entirely dolphin safe.”
“Finally, consumers have a clear choice between an official dolphin-safe label,” he said, “and ones that have just been stuck on the can.”
Tuna fishing in the Pacific Ocean killed around seven million dolphins between 1960 and 1990.
swissinfo with agencies
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