Song of the Tuna Fish: hope you can pick up the tune, if not ask a Monty Python fan:

Tuna: I’m a tuna fish and I’m ok,

I swim all night and I swim all day,

I swim in shoals, I like to jump

And most of all like fish for lunch!

Middle man: He’s a tuna fish and he’s ok,

He swims all night and he swims all day,

He swims in shoals and here’s the crunch,

He makes lots of money and he’s good for lunch!

Tuna: Great shoals of me, graze oceans free,

We are the Buffalo of the Sea,

Along comes man to take his share,

It’d be ok if his methods were fair.

Middle man: Great shoals of he, graze oceans free,

He thinks he’s the buffalo of the sea!

Well we’ll harvest him, just like them

And then we’ll make a pile of yen.

Tuna: I’m a tuna fish and time to say,

the ways you fish are not ok.

long line and FAD’s to lure us in,

levels of bycatch are a sin.*

The only fair way’s pole and line,

And then we can feed you till the end of time.

Middle man: But that would eat our profits,

we’d have to change our ways,

we’ll leave it to the consumer

after all it’s them that pays.

Tuna: So dear consumer it’s over to you,

Fish in the future or a penny or two.

Just look on the tins for caught Pole and Line,

(Dolphin friendly’s not enough sign**),

We’ll be grateful,

and the blessing you know

is we’ll be there for your children

and they’ll thank you so!

Ecofax: The tuna you choose makes a difference, pole and line is the only way that eliminates massive “bycatch” and also can be kind to local fisherman. “Bycatch” is the term for other fish and animals also caught by a method of fishing. Though campaigning has reduced the number of dolphin caught and killed, methods used, fads (fish attraction devices) purse seine and lethal longlines (multiple hooked lines, some as long as London to Brighton) catch numerous other creatures, including sharks, turtles and sea birds.

**It has been estimated that saving one dolphin, by using fads, costs 16,000 smaller or juvenile tuna, 380 mahimahi, 190 wahoo, 20 sharks and rays, 1200 trigger fish and other small fish, one marlin and “other” animals.

EcoAction: Check the tin – if it doesn’t say pole and line, trust it hasn’t been!

Also check out Greenpeace’s current campaign and support them to turn the tide…it seems they have even influenced Tesco’s!!!

*”Dolphin friendly- what does it mean,” fish 4ever website.

With thanks for the info’ to Jane Turner for her article in ethical consumer magazine.