Greenpeace Calls For Concrete Protection As Tuna-Dolphin Talks R

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

AS TALKS RESUME ON TUNA-DOLPHIN TREATY, GREENPEACE CALLS FOR
CONCRETE STEPS TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE PROTECTION 

WASHINGTON, February 2, 1998 --  As negotiations resume today in
La Jolla, California, on the details of a multilateral dolphin
protection treaty, Greenpeace is lobbying participating
governments to include concrete measures to advance annual
reductions in dolphins killed in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
(ETP) tuna fishery. 

The negotiations pick up where the first week-long session left
off in October 1997, shortly after the passage of a new U.S. law
that provided the foundation for reforms. Most governments
expect the new agreement to be concluded by the end of this
week's negotiations.

"Significant progress was made during last October's
negotiations," said Greenpeace's Legislative Director, Gerald
Leape. "Now, however, we are looking for nations to provide the
specifics on how to further reduce dolphin mortalities in the
tuna fishery."

Greenpeace has distributed a lobby statement for the
negotiations, with concrete ideas on how to meet the underlying
objectives of a non-binding dolphin protection agreement,
initially agreed in La Jolla in 1992, and updated in Panama in
1995. These objectives are "to progressively reducing dolphin
mortality in the [ETP] fishery to levels approaching zero `with
a goal of eliminating dolphin mortality'."  

"The actions this week of select governments, notably the U.S.,
Mexico and Venezuela, will go a long way toward determining
whether greater dolphin protection is guaranteed in the new
agreement," added Leape.  "But true protection, and the goal of
zero dolphin deaths in the future, will only be realized if
meaningful, specific measures are incorporated now."  

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Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org