Wild Dolphin Safe Tuna Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Dolphin-safe tuna certification protects dolphins from bycatch but different fishing methods used to replace encirclement have their own welfare implications.

Key Facts

Eastern Pacific yellow-fin tuna school beneath dolphin pods - fishers exploited this association
Pre-dolphin-safe fishing killed millions of dolphins annually through purse-seine encirclement
The Marine Mammal Protection Act and dolphin-safe certification transformed US market practices
FAD (fish aggregating device) fishing replaced dolphin encirclement for tuna harvest
FADs attract juvenile tuna but also capture enormous bycatch including sharks, sea turtles, and juvenile fish
Non-associated school fishing targets tuna schools without FADs but has lower catch efficiency
'Dolphin-safe' does not mean environmentally or welfare-safe for all species involved
Pole-and-line fishing is considered the most selective method with lowest bycatch

Welfare Considerations

The dolphin-safe success story created unintended welfare consequences by shifting fishing pressure to methods with different bycatch profiles. Millions of sharks, sea turtles, juvenile tuna, and other species are killed as bycatch in FAD fishing. Each of these animals experiences distress and death as an unintended consequence of fishing. The choice between fishing methods involves complex tradeoffs between different species' welfare. Pole-and-line fishing, while more labor-intensive, creates the most targeted catch. Consumer choices and certification standards have real consequences for billions of marine animals.

What You Can Do

Choose tuna labeled as pole-and-line caught for lowest bycatch impact
Look for Marine Stewardship Council certification with low bycatch ratings
Reduce tuna consumption and diversify protein sources to reduce fishing pressure
Support fishing regulations requiring FAD monitoring and bycatch reduction
Advocate for true ecological sustainability in tuna certification standards