The World Trade Organization sided with Mexico over the U.S. in a long-running dispute over labeling on Mexican tuna imported into America. The regulatory body gave Mexico the green light to seek $163 million each year that the U.S. bans it from using the term “dolphin-safe” on its tuna-can labels.
“The U.S. has long criticized Mexico’s fishing practices in Pacific waters, saying its use of nets and chasing dolphins to find large schools of lucrative yellow fin tuna greatly harms the mammals,” says NPR.
At one point, up to 100,000 dolphins were dying annually due to those fishing tactics, but Mexico claims it has improved practices, dramatically dropping dolphin kills to meet international standards. “Fishermen now use techniques so the mammals can escape. They’ve banned night fishing. And all boats in Mexico’s tuna fleet have independent observers onboard,” says NPR. And yet, the U.S. has continued to bar Mexico from using the label in American markets.
Mexico claims that not being able to call its tuna “dolphin-safe” has reduced industry profits by $472.3 million. The U.S. estimate is $8.5 million to $21.9 million. But the WTO figured the actual amount was $163 million a year. After the WTO announced its decision, Mexico said it would begin to assess ways to retaliate against U.S. fishing interests in defense of its own tuna catch, says NPR.