Dear Editor, The Govt. of the Solomon Islands just does not get it! Earth Island works with 95 percent of the worlds tuna markets as dolphin safe approved under our program.
The Minister of Environment can be disappointed, but this means nothing when it comes to protecting dolphins. If the govt. wants to have investment in Guadalcanal for tuna factories from Dong Won, Frabelle, or any other working with Earth Island, it is simple , END THE DISGUSTING TRADE IN DOLPHINS PERIOD!
There will be no tuna factory certified dolphin safe on Guadalacanal by Earth Island, which means NO CUSTOMERS. So why would Dong Won or Frabelle want to invest 15 million USD each in such a venture with such huge risk?
The Western Province has dolphin protection in place as a province which allows Trimarine, Soltai, NFD to be considered dolphin safe for tuna.
Papau New Guinea is a dolphin safe country, with no abuses of dolphins. Therefore investment continues to grow in the land based tuna sector providing thousands of new jobs.
Is it not time for the Solomon govt. to wash the greed from their hands with regard to the dollars only a few reap from this illicit trade, which is a dying trade worldwide.
Only three countries actively capture and trade dolphins, Japan, Solomon Islands, and Cuba, and the EU and USA have banned imports of these mammals.

I rest my case, the Minister of Environment tells the citizens false statements, CITES has NOT authorized capture and trade in dolphins from the Solomons, but the key here is that ZERO dolphins should be captured. Allow them to be free where they belong in the ocean, and then Solomons can expand it tuna industry.
Mark Berman
Earth Island Institute
California , USA