International environmental organisation seeking partnership in ČR

Dear Organisation,

Earth Island Institute (www.earthisland.org) is a not for profit international environmental organisation seeking to develop partnerships with environmental organisations in Czech Republic.

In order to further widen our Project support in Europe, we would be grateful if You could confirm to us (Earth Island Institute) Your moral support to our Project ‘DOLPHIN-SAFE’, described in this email. Earth Island Institute would in turn be glad to consider supporting your valuable projects.

If, after reading the description of the project, you wish to confirm your support/sympathy, please reply to this email, with the simple statement “We support you”.

Your confirmation will NOT imply on your behalf any economical engagement, but simply a moral support / sympathy to our activity.

The Earth Island Dolphin-Safe Project has led to a decrease of dolphin-mortality in the tuna fishery by more than 95% in the past ten years.

More than 150 non-governmental environmental, animal welfare, and trade organizations support the Earth Island Institute efforts, including

-          the Humane Society of the U.S.,

-          Greenpeace,

-          Defenders of Wildlife,

-          Sierra Club,

-          American Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA),

-          Friends of the Earth,

-          Animal Welfare Institute,

-          Citizen Trade Campaign

-          Friend of the Sea

-          The Marine Connection UK

Earth Island Institute will be glad to provide you with further information and possibly meet you shortly. It will be the chance to start a useful collaboration and EII would also be glad to consider supporting your projects.

Thank you very much and best regards,

Paolo Bray

European Director

Earth Island Institute

London – UK

Milan – Italy

Tel: 39.3485650306

Fax: 39.02.29537094

www.dolphinsafetuna.org

www.earthisland.org

EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE (www.earthisland.org) is a Not for Profit International Organisation, founded by the twice candidate Nobel Peace Prize and founder of Friends of the Earth, David Brower (http://www.earthisland.org/brower/brower_legacy.html) .

Earth Island Institute (EII) manages several international humanitarian and conservation projects (http://www.earthisland.org/projectdir/eii_projects.html) . We might be interested in sponsoring your own projects, so if you would be interested, please send EII the Project Sponsorship Application Form (http://www.earthisland.org/abouteii/PMApplication.pdf) .

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THE DOLPHIN-SAFE PROJECT

Earth Island has started more than 15 years ago a project to prevent the tuna fishing industry from killing marine mammals when fishing tuna. In order to verify the companies engagements, Earth Island Institute has set up one of the widest and most successful international environmental monitoring program (International Monitoring Program - http://www.earthisland.org/immp/imp.htm ).

In order for tuna to be considered "Dolphin Safe", it must meet the following Dolphin-Safe standards:

1. No intentional chasing, netting or encirclement of dolphins during an entire tuna fishing trip;
2. No use of drift gill nets to catch tuna;
3. No accidental killing or serious injury to any dolphins during net sets;
4. No mixing of dolphin-safe and dolphin-deadly tuna in individual boat wells (for accidental kill of dolphins), or in processing or storage facilities; and
5. Each trip in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) by vessels 400 gross tons and above must have an independent observer on board attesting to the compliance with points (1) through (4) above.

By agreement between Earth Island Institute and the participants in "Dolphin Safe" fishing operations:

• All processing, storage, and transshipment facilities and procurement records related to the purchase, processing, storage, transport, and sale of tuna must be made available for independent monitoring.
• Companies listed as "Dolphin Safe" must maintain "Dolphin Safe" policies approved by Earth Island Institute and apply them to all international aspects of their operations and related subsidiaries.

Further, Earth Island Institute and the 85-member Dolphin Safe/Fair Trade Campaign strongly encourage tuna fishermen and tuna companies to work to reduce bycatch of non-target species and to release alive, to the maximum extent feasible, any non-target species caught in purse seine nets.

These "Dolphin Safe" standards were developed in 1990 by Earth Island Institute and the H.J. Heinz Corporation (StarKist Tuna); endorsed by the U.S. Tuna Foundation, Chicken of the Sea, and Bumble Bee Tuna; and have been adopted by approximately 300 tuna companies, canneries, brokers, import associations, retail store, and restaurant chains around the globe.

By way of background, in 1997, only 2.9% of the world's tuna supply was caught by chasing and setting nets on dolphins. More than 90% of the world's canned tuna market has pledged to buy and sell only "Dolphin Safe" tuna in accordance with Earth Island's "Dolphin Safe" standards. Please find a complete and updated list of Dolphin-Safe approved companies at www.dolphinsafetuna.org

As a result of the "Dolphin Safe" commitment by tuna companies, dolphin mortality has dropped by more than 97% in the past ten years.

Further Information: http://www.earthisland.org/immp/EII_Q_&_A_Dol_Safe_12-01.html

An updated list of approved Dolphin-Safe companies is public and available at www.dolphinsafetuna.org