That’s not the official title, but it comes close enough. It is a bill that repeals requirements that tuna imported into the U.S. be caught in a manner that ensures minimal dolphin deaths. Not only does it allow import of tuna from Central and South American tuna harvests (which are not bound by the tuna harvesting rules that we live by), but it mandates that such tuna be labeled as “dolphin safe”, despite the fact that it may have been caught with techniques that kill large numbers of dolphins.
Don’t believe Bill? Here are the bill references, so you can see the truth, and just how your representatives voted.
US House of Representatives (where the bill was passed on 07-31-96, and been forwarded to the Senate, on a vote of 316-108):
U.S. Senate:
One of the reasons Bill cares so much about this is because he narrated a special broadcast by Westinghouse broadcasting, in 1975 called “The Last Days of The Dolphin”, documenting the killing of 500,000 dolphins annually. The following business day congress outlawed the tuna fishing practices shown in the broadcast.
Oh, and just in case you read the words in these bills and the words spoken on the floor of the House and Senate, and think that the goal is to protect the dolphins, take a look at the one substantial amendment that was offered (and killed):
HOUSE AMENDMENTS
Studds 07-31-96 HA 1371 (A001 - Failed)
An amendment to specify that tuna sold commercially in
the U.S may only be labled as being caught using a
“dolphin-safe” process if no dolphins are killed,
chased, harassed, injured, or encircled with nets in the
process of catching tuna.
This is disgusting.
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