First of all dolphins are trapped in tuna nets accidentally. They are chased for approximately an hour until they are exhausted. Then a mile-long net is set around them. During closure underwater bombs are set on near the areas where the net is still open to keep the dolphins in the net, so the dolphins and tuna would not escape. Thousands of dolphins can be encircled in this way, and all of them can end up dead, especially during equipment breakdowns at night.It is amazing that about 5,000 dolphins can die from 1 net and in only a few hours.
The best way to enforce the existing law prohibiting the import of tuna which kills dolphins is to require that all tuna boats who provide the tuna be inspected and not be allowed to have speedboats. The speedboats can be replaced with boats of more appropriate velocity--fast enough to carry out efficient net work, but too slow to chase dolphins. (The speedboats on tuna purse seiners are extremely fast--specifically for chasing dolphins.) There are only two functions of speedboats on a tunaboat: to chase dolphins to exhaustion so that the net can be set around them, and to move quickly to areas where the net has not yet closed in order to drop bombs in the water to prevent the dolphins from escaping out of the net. Without speedboats the purse seiners cannot set their nets on dolphins, and any catch they deliver can be guaranteed to be dolphin-safe in that sense. A 5,000 per year kill quota would almost certainly be exceeded by log fishing alone even if setting nets on dolphins were completely prohibited
We have signed this petition to stop fisherman from trapping dolphins in tuna nets.These aniamls have saved human lives and in return we are killing them. I think this is outrageous and we should stop this. Dolphins breathe air,mourn loss of beloved,and defend their babies form danger. They are just like humans. Please stop this. Thank you for taking time to read this.
