On Wednesday the World Trade Organization ruled against the sale of cans of tuna labeled “dolphin safe,” arguing that the practice discriminates against Mexican fishermen and that the United States’ definition of “dolphin safe” tuna unfairly restricts trade. The WTO decision threatens a business practice that has been in place for over 20 years. Environmentalists and businesses both criticized the ruling for potentially threatening dolphin species in the Pacific Ocean as well as interfering with U.S. consumers’ choices.

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Post tags: canned tuna, dolphin safe tuna, dolphins, earth island institute, mexico, pacific ocean, public citizen, purse seine nets, tuna, TWO, world trade organization

Peru’s government declared a health alert over the weekend on its northern coast after hundreds of pelicans and dolphins inexplicably washed ashore dead. The advisory urging people not to visit several beaches spread out across hundreds of kilometers comes while investigators are trying to determine the cause of their deaths. At last count, over 1200 pelicans have been found dead, joining the 800 deceased dolphins found along the country’s coast.

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Post tags: Chiclayo, Dolphin Deaths, dolphins, health alert, lima, pelican deaths, pelicans, peru, UMEs, unusual mortality events

In mid-2009, the tiny Japanese fishing village of Taiji found itself at the center of the international controversy over dolphin hunting when it was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove.” The film, which showed disturbing images of an annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, brought international attention to the town of just over 3,000. Now, almost three years after The Cove was released, Taiji officials have announced plans to open a marine mammal park where visitors can swim with dolphins and small whales — but there are still no plans to stop the annual dolphin slaughter.

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Post tags: black whale, bottlenose dolphin, documentary film, dolphin hunting, dolphin killing, dolphin meat, dolphin slaughter, dolphins, Japan, marine mammals, marine park, Moriura Bay, parks, Taiji, The Cove, Wakayama, whales