Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals and Dolphin-Safe Tuna Products

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS, (Assistant Administrator) has issued a determination, under the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPCIA), of regular and significant mortality and serious injury of dolphins in gillnet fisheries harvesting tuna by vessels flagged under the Governments of India, Iran, Mozambique, Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. This determination triggers additional documentation requirements for tuna product from those fisheries that is exported from or offered for sale in the United States, including that such tuna must be accompanied by a written statement executed by an observer participating in a national or international program acceptable to the Assistant Administrator, in addition to such statement by the captain of the vessel, that certifies that no dolphins were killed or seriously injured in the sets or other gear deployments in which the tuna were caught and certain other required information regarding dolphin interactions and segregation of tuna. These determinations were based on review of scientific information and, when available, documentary evidence submitted by the relevant government.