'Dolphin friendly tuna' will now be even friendlier after the European Union signs up to stricter standards for tuna fishing. The new standards will guarantee the end to dolphin deaths and danger to other species like turtles and sharks.
The 'dolphin safe' label will only be granted when no dolphins are reported injured or killed in fishermen's nets under the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (AIDCP).
Previous 'dolphin friendly' labels have certified tuna which was caught by fishermen aiming to reduce dolphin deaths but stopped short of guaranteeing that dolphins would be safe. Turtles and sharks were also often killed in the nets.
Richard Corbett, Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said:
"The international fishing community has made great progress over the last few years preventing dolphin deaths but today's agreement will tighten up the regulations to make sure that no dolphins are killed.
"Consumers will not accept unnecessary deaths or damage to the environment to catch their food. The food industry has woken up to this.
"This is another step forward in our fight for an ethical food industry that ensures fair and safe practices and minimum damage to our environment.
Europe consumes 530,000 tonnes of canned tuna every year, half of which is imported, from areas such as the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The European Parliament voted today to sign up to the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme. The European Commission will sign the agreement in the near future.
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