Greenpeace released a video yesterday showing how dolphins whales and sharks are being caught in tuna nets as by catch. The footage is shocking to say the least and should be a warning to those who enjoy their tuna any kind of tuna of course bluefin tuna is almost the way of the dodo but they're still other species of tuna that is widely consumed but most people without a thought.
You always check your tuna cans for the dolphin safe label don't you? You state that they believe you would be buying something that spares Dolphins and any other marine creatures that are not tuna but painful and senseless death but that doesn't seem to be the case at least not according to this footage.
Warning, it's very graphic.
VIDEO: Helicopter pilot blows whistle on tuna industry
Conservation group Greenpeace released the video yesterday in a bid to show the true cost of a cheap can of tuna. It was shot three weeks ago in the Pacific by helicopter pilots working for a Korean tuna fleet, who were so horrified by what they witnessed they turned whistleblower.
The ships use a method called purse seine netting to encircle entire schools of tuna which have been attracted to fish aggregating devices (FADs). Greenpeace said they also lure all manner of other marine life.
"Consumers have the right to know what is destroyed and discarded in order to fill their cans with tuna," Greenpeace International oceans campaigner Sari Tolvanen said .
"This shocking video is a wake-up call. We as consumers can demand that retailers give shelf space only to responsibly caught tuna."
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I want to clarify where this kind of Tuna fishing is taking place. It is in Australia and it is common among many of the manufacturers of tuna.
Greenpeace Ocean Campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said the majority of canned tuna eaten in Australia is caught in this manner.
WA shoppers eat more canned tuna than any other seafood, despite evidence that overfishing has pushed stocks into serious decline, with some on the brink of collapse
Mr Pelle is urging WA consumers to demand retailers stock more sustainable tuna varieties, such as Safcol, which sources tuna not caught using FADs or purse-seine nets.
“Greenseas should be congratulated for recently pledging to stop using FAD-caught tuna by 2015, but that’s several years away,” Mr Pelle said.
“Brands like John West, Coles and Woolworths have refused to make any such commitments.”
Woolworths' media relations manager Benedict Brook said the company offer pole and line caught tuna in its private label brands.
"It is disappointing that Greenpeace has chosen to ignore this fact," Mr Brook said.
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Now it is unfortunate that Mr, Brooks ignores a huge issue, no tuna should be caught this way, not with the state of our oceans and the incredible loss of life in the immense amount of by-catch. In fact it is far more disappointing to me that Woolworth's has chosen to ignore this fact, especially in light of the fact that over 85% of Australians oppose whaling, and as this footage shoes, whales and dolphins are often part of the by-catch.
I know that there are Kossacks from around the world here and I am hoping this finds some Australian Kossacks who are willing to make some noise and maybe even start a Boycott of their Tuna.
This is just not acceptable.