European Fish Free Week

APRIL 22nd- 28th 2002

Thousands of porpoises, dolphins and whales are dying in European waters each year, due to entanglement in fishing nets. There are measures that could be taken which would significantly reduce the number of deaths. However, those in a position to implement such measures, refuse to act.

We need your help to persuade them.

It would seem that economic and political considerations take precedence over environmental concerns. Therefore, European consumers must demonstrate that there will be economic and political ramifications if politicians, commercial fishermen's organisations, supermarkets and fish processors fail to address
the problem of cetacean bycatch.

Consumer pressure can force change.

In 1972 it was estimated that 423,678 dolphins were killed in the Eastern Tropical Pacific tuna purse seine fishery. In 1988, Earth Island Institute was responsible for organizing an extremely successful consumer boycott of tuna products in the US, which ultimately gained world attention. Sales of tuna plummeted. They only began to recover when the EII implemented dolphin
bycatch mitigation measures in the Eastern Tropical Pacific tuna purse seine fishery, and introduced an international monitoring program and certification scheme in conjunction with the H J Heinz Corporation, which became known as the "dolphin - safe" certification scheme.

As a result of consumer pressure, and the continued efforts of EII, the preliminary estimate of dolphins killed in the tuna purse seine fishery in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean for the year 2000, was 1,636 (estimates provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission).

Consumer pressure can force change.

European consumers must put pressure on politicians, commercial fishermen's organisations, supermarkets, and fish processors, if thousands of cetaceans are to be saved.

Porpoises, dolphins and whales are dying due to entanglement in gill nets, tangle nets, trammel nets, purse seine nets, drift nets (which are not prohibited in the Baltic Sea), longlines, and in the nets of pelagic trawlers, the most destructive of which are the pair trawlers.

PLEASE participate in EUROPEAN FISH FREE WEEK APRIL 22nd - 28th 2002

We ask that you BOYCOTT ALL FISH PRODUCTS during this week.

We also ask that you write to:
1) Your MP - explain your reasons for boycotting fish products, request that he/she supports your actions, and raises the issue of cetacean bycatch in your national parliament.

2) Your MEP - explain your reasons for boycotting fish products, request that he/she supports your actions, and raises the issue of cetacean bycatch in the European Parliament.

3) Your national Minister for Fisheries - explain your reasons for
boycotting fish products, and request details of the measures that your national government is taking in order to comply with the Habitats Directive, in relation to cetacean bycatch.

4) Mr. Franz Fischler, EU Commissioner for Agriculture & Fisheries, 200, Rue de la Loi, B-1049, Brussels. franz.fischler@cec.eu.int - explain your reasons for boycotting fish products, request that the Common Fisheries Policy be amended to incorporate a Cetacean Bycatch Response Strategy, and that EC Regulations No.104/2000 and No. 2065/2001 be amended to incorporate METHOD OF CAPTURE, as consumers wish to know which fishing methods have been used.

5) Supermarkets and fish processors - explain your reason for boycotting fish products, and request that they provide the consumer with fish products which have been obtained using fishing methods which do not result in the deaths of cetaceans i.e. handlines, and pole and lines.

Currently, there are only two such products available in UK supermarkets - canned tuna from the Maldives caught using pole and line in the Maldives, and fresh mackerel caught using handlines by Cornish fishermen and certified by the MSC the only MSC certified product to be endorsed by ECBC).

6) Commercial Fishermen's Organisations - explain your reason for boycotting fish products, and request that their members adopt cetacean bycatch mitigation measures similar to those used by fishermen in the United States and New Zealand.

These dolphin and whale deaths have been happening for many years and are rapidly on the increase, which is why something has to be done NOW before it is too late. Some may accuse groups and individuals supporting "No Fish Week" of deliberately endangering the livelihood of fishermen, which is not the case, indeed there are many fishermen actively supporting the campaign and the need to change commercial fishing practices. The reason we, as a dolphin and whale charity, support the need for "No Fish Week" is to highlight to the general public the thousands of dolphins and many whales that continue to be killed by these fishing methods, and why, now we have to work together to research and bring into place safer fishing practices that do not mean an agonising death for dolphins, whales and porpoises.

For a full list of supermarket and fishermen's organisations you can contact to express your concern please email : bycatch@marineconnection.org.