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Protect Ocean Wildlife and Keep Tuna Dolphin-Safe!

Target: Dr. William Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS; Colin Powell, United States Secretary of State
Sponsored by: Defenders of Wildlife
The Dolphin-Safe Tuna Program and Ocean Wildlife Are Under Attack
The Bush Administration is trying to weaken the definition of the dolphin-safe label on tuna cans and pouches despite broad bipartisan public support for the program. The proposed changes to this successful program would allow tuna caught using the harmful practice of chasing and setting nets on dolphins to be labeled "dolphin-safe.” This policy has the potential to devastate dolphin populations, especially three dolphin populations in the Eastern Pacific -- the northeastern offshore spotted, the eastern spinner, and the coastal spotted – which have all seen their numbers plummet as a result of dolphin-deadly fishing practices.

Other Marine Wildlife Is In Jeopardy! Scientists worldwide recognize that large-scale industrial fishing techniques -- such as purse-seining, longlining, and drift-netting -- are devastating our oceans and the countless wildlife species that live within them. Dolphins, endangered sea turtles, sharks, sea birds and other marine wildlife are all falling victim to the nets and lines of tuna fishermen and the pressure of overfishing, especially in the Pacific Ocean. (Visit savedolphins.org for more information)

Sea Turtles in Trouble: Sea turtles, abundant throughout the world's oceans for millennia, are being killed when they become entangled in fishing gear or caught as bycatch in fishing nets. All eight of the world's sea turtle species are now listed as threatened with extinction. Within the last decade, the Eastern Pacific populations of the critically endangered leatherback turtle have declined by 78%.

Sharks in Danger: Sharks, due to their low birth rate, slow maturation and growth patterns, and naturally small populations, are extremely vulnerable to pressures from fisheries and human exploitation. Pacific populations of Angel Sharks, Lemon Sharks, and Blue Sharks, to name a few, are all facing grave dangers from overfishing practices. (Visit savesharks.org for more information)


We need your help in convincing the Bush Administration to finally demonstrate leadership position on these issues at the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission and elsewhere. We cannot sit by passively as our dolphin-safe tuna label is rendered meaningless and our ocean resources are destroyed by overfishing. Sign Now! Once you have signed, tell your friends about this imminent threat to these magnificent marine mammals!

deadline: 4-30-2004
goal: 15,000
 

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Dear Dr. William Hogarth & Secretary Colin Powell:

I urge you to take action to protect the Pacific Ocean’s marine ecosystems by protecting the U.S. dolphin-safe tuna label & program. To truly protect dolphins in the Pacific it is necessary to protect the ecosystem in which they live. Rampant overfishing is adversely affecting dolphins, endangered sea turtles, sharks, sea birds and the fish species themselves. Yet, instead of decreasing fishing efforts, countries are doing the opposite. This trend spells disaster for the entire Pacific Ocean.

It is your responsibility to make sound choices that are in the interest of all Americans, including future generations. Taking the lead towards halting overfishing and destructive fishing practices in the Pacific fisheries would achieve this goal. This goes hand in hand with a responsible policy of using the dolphin-safe label only for tuna that is truly dolphin-safe (i.e., no chase or encirclement of dolphins).

The U.S. should not accept the refusal of some countries to comply with conservation measures or implement new needed measures. The United States has the tools to create international cooperation, including trade measures under the Pelly Amendment, to ensure that countries are taking the necessary precautions to conserve dolphins, sharks, sea turtles and other marine life.

Stop overfishing in the Pacific and protect the dolphin-safe tuna program to further protect dolphins and all other marine biodiversity in this important area.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned




We signed the “Protect Ocean Wildlife and Keep Tuna Dolphin-Safe!” petition!
# 26,422:
8:41 am PST, Mar 31, Jordan Harwick, Illinois
it saves animals

animals live there

# 26,421:
8:10 am PST, Mar 31, Name not displayed, Chile
This trend spells disaster for the entire Pacific Ocean.

the wonderfull biodiversity

# 26,420:
2:07 am PST, Mar 31, Clara Ghimel, Brazil
# 26,419:
4:41 pm PST, Mar 30, Ira Kaye, New York
# 26,418:
1:52 pm PST, Mar 30, Ray Moseley, California
# 26,417:
6:50 pm PST, Mar 29, Stacy Desbrow, California
# 26,416:
12:05 pm PST, Mar 29, Don Zoller, Oregon
use your mind

duh

# 26,415:
9:34 am PST, Mar 29, Phil Caps, California
# 26,414:
9:18 am PST, Mar 29, Rob Sullivan, Texas
# 26,413:
6:19 am PST, Mar 29, Pantelis Papadopoulos, Greece
# 26,412:
9:54 pm PST, Mar 28, Maria M., Florida
# 26,411:
9:48 pm PST, Mar 28, Carrie Rowden, California
# 26,410:
1:42 pm PST, Mar 28, Name not displayed, Kentucky
# 26,409:
10:40 am PST, Mar 28, Name not displayed, Massachusetts
Every life is important.

If we don't take action they will be destroyed.

# 26,408:
10:28 am PST, Mar 28, Holly Lyda, South Carolina
# 26,407:
9:47 pm PST, Mar 27, Nattie Lowery, West Virginia
When you've destroyed every Ocean Wildlife world wide, all you'll be able to do is "Remember back in the day" about creatures that existed then and not now.

I haven't even been able to see a dolphin, or any other ocean inhabitate animal, in person. And just thinking about them getting killed makes me feel guilty that my children or their children might not be able to see something I could only dream of seeing, and if the ocean's wildlife is gone, what can my family look forward to seeing when we finally get the chance to travel to an ocean to see a fascinating creature?

# 26,406:
7:16 pm PST, Mar 27, Electra Bokanoski, Arizona
# 26,405:
5:46 pm PST, Mar 27, Beverly Stecklein, Florida
It is part of the balance of nature-upset that balance and species die, land and water becomes unusable. People will die.

We already know many species are dying out. We must stop this trend or there will be nothing left of the earth for future generations. No wonder sharks attack--they are defending their home and families!!!

# 26,404:
11:12 am PST, Mar 27, Danyelle Mandel, Washington
# 26,403:
10:55 am PST, Mar 27, Josefin Forsberg, Sweden
# 26,402:
2:13 am PST, Mar 27, Kirsty Travis, United Kingdom
wildlife is a natural part of the environment and we should fight to preserve it!

more and more poachers are killing our species and this need to stop now!extinction rates are now higher than they have ever been since the dinosaurs!

# 26,401:
10:19 pm PST, Mar 26, Divya Saini, India
# 26,400:
4:41 pm PST, Mar 26, Katricia Pellett, New York
# 26,399:
2:32 pm PST, Mar 26, Emily K, Illinois
Humans are not the only creatures on our dear Mother Earth. You cannot destroy the wonderful oceanic animals that keep our planet unique.

They are our water source! If we dry out the oceans and lakes, then what?! Humans and other land animals wont be able to survive without water!

# 26,398:
2:25 pm PST, Mar 26, Name not displayed, Texas
# 26,397:
11:47 am PST, Mar 26, Lila Sheehan, Missouri
# 26,396:
8:57 am PST, Mar 26, Jessica Denson, Pennsylvania
Sooner or later the ocean will be the world. No land will be seen. We will all be under water.

I have the strongest passion for dolphins and whales and every other fish and mammal in the sea!!!

# 26,395:
4:30 am PST, Mar 26, Linda Mcbride, United Kingdom
we need these beautiful mammals, mother nature did'nt give us these to kill

they are important to us

# 26,394:
3:10 am PST, Mar 26, Mashood Siddiqui, Pakistan
# 26,393:
2:17 am PST, Mar 26, Verena Albrecht, Germany
# 26,392:
2:10 am PST, Mar 26, Angelina Suwendy, Singapore
they would get extinct? What if they really go away for eternity? y wud u care? beeccoozzz... they wont rise up frm the dead. And the upcoming generation would be b just like the evil ppl like them.

water. wildlife. humans.. think bout it. AGAIN!

# 26,391:
2:08 am PST, Mar 26, Angela Chavarria, Colorado
They are a natural part of life, and who are we to take their lives, homes, etc, away from them?
# 26,390:
9:41 pm PST, Mar 25, Emilie Giroux, Canada
# 26,389:
1:11 pm PST, Mar 25, Kenneth Bozek, Massachusetts
# 26,388:
9:26 am PST, Mar 25, Petra Zippe, Austria
Living is respecting life where ever we find!
# 26,387:
7:35 am PST, Mar 25, Ashley LaPlante, New York
they're going to end up being endangered. These animals live in the waters because it's how they need to survive.

water is a natural part of human life. But the animals weren't put here on the planet for our benefit. And they've been here long than we have.

# 26,386:
6:25 am PST, Mar 25, Patricia Lynn Thomas, Arkansas
they are part of our ecological balance.

this is part of our world balance, and part of our food chain.

# 26,385:
4:54 pm PST, Mar 24, Thomas Dorsey, Massachusetts
# 26,384:
11:10 am PST, Mar 24, Jenny Perry, California
# 26,383:
10:04 am PST, Mar 24, Sonia Peña, Mexico
# 26,382:
3:10 pm PST, Mar 23, Kelly Heitman, California
# 26,381:
12:17 pm PST, Mar 23, Danielle Thweatt, Alabama
# 26,380:
10:05 am PST, Mar 23, Dottie Correll, Pennsylvania
# 26,379:
8:11 am PST, Mar 23, Connie Scritchfield, Ohio
# 26,378:
7:39 am PST, Mar 23, Curt Albright, North Carolina
# 26,377:
7:56 pm PST, Mar 22, Susan O'Connor, Florida
# 26,376:
1:58 pm PST, Mar 22, Tiff Stevens, Canada
the ocean is beautiful and is a home to many creatures

we are ruining them and destroying animals and there habitats and they have no other way of living

# 26,375:
10:46 am PST, Mar 22, Tammy Cranston, United Kingdom
People are heartless and without those people that care looking after them then who will?

There soon wont be anything left. All these wonderful creatures will be extinct just so you can get money. And for what? You wont be able to make money that way then so will have to find another way. So why not just do the other way now instead?

# 26,374:
9:22 am PST, Mar 22, Zita Fonodi, Hungary
# 26,373:
8:47 am PST, Mar 22, Anastazya NG, Slovenia
# 26,372:
10:50 pm PST, Mar 21, Name not displayed, Massachusetts
# 26,371:
10:33 pm PST, Mar 21, Katie Curley, Ireland
# 26,370:
6:12 pm PST, Mar 21, Julia Rooney, New York
There are so many reasons and so much proof that I need not make a case, the case is obvious!

Our earth and the amazing creatures who live here deserve to be respected. There is no need for such wasteful and careless practices. This is especially so when we are aware of the damage it will cause!

# 26,369:
11:05 am PST, Mar 21, Erica Reichert, Indiana
# 26,368:
9:39 am PST, Mar 21, Munteanu Gabriela, Romania
# 26,367:
9:14 am PST, Mar 21, Diane Johnson-Walker, Illinois
# 26,366:
7:25 am PST, Mar 21, Anne Daletski, Washington
# 26,365:
3:40 am PST, Mar 21, Cindy Claassen, South Africa
# 26,364:
2:33 am PST, Mar 21, Maja Damjanovic, Switzerland
It's the craddle of life! Who gives US the right to destroy it?
# 26,363:
11:32 pm PST, Mar 20, Denise White, United Kingdom
# 26,362:
9:51 pm PST, Mar 20, Heather Penner, Texas
# 26,361:
8:20 pm PST, Mar 20, Laura Nennig, Wisconsin
# 26,360:
3:25 pm PST, Mar 20, Sara Fisch, Arizona
# 26,359:
2:30 pm PST, Mar 20, Francois Viquesnel, French Polynesia
# 26,358:
12:34 pm PST, Mar 20, Andrew Politzer, Connecticut
# 26,357:
12:31 pm PST, Mar 20, Anneli Forsberg, Sweden
# 26,356:
10:15 am PST, Mar 20, Fred Blackstone, Georgia
# 26,355:
4:17 pm PST, Mar 19, Katy Shindler, Texas
# 26,353:
12:28 pm PST, Mar 19, Name not displayed, Tennessee
its wrong to kill animals. Whoever kills marine animals for no good reasons are ass wipes!!!!!!!!!!!

They are important to our envirment and if they are gone the our food chain will fall apart and we will fall apart!!!

# 26,352:
7:02 am PST, Mar 19, Betty Leitzel, Texas
# 26,351:
6:45 am PST, Mar 19, Name not displayed, Canada
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