period of the year when cetaceans are migrating through the area would decrease bycatch significantly. Observers on boat Observers are on fishing vessels spotting cetaceans in the water so that they can be avoided. In the U.S. Some programs like Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Safe Label certification claim to require certification from onboard observers. However, the only fishery in the world where independent scientific observers certify whether or not a dolphin has been harmed is the Eastern Tropical Pacific, home to the AIDCP Treaty program. For all other tuna fisheries of the world, the efficacy of onboard observer certification has come under increasing scrutiny as such programs have proven indefensible or unmanageable: In an interview with Radio Australia last year, Mark Palmer of EII confirmed that it is mostly the case that EII monitors do not go on board of the vessels, and their organization does not have the kind of resources to put observers on the “many thousands" of ships that are out there catching tuna. Additionally, environmental groups have criticized Earth Island Institute’s support of U.S. policies that do not require independent, on-board observation and instead only rely on self-certification by fishing captains, and that even where they may at some point in the future require independent observers, the lack of uniformity in tracing and verifying certifications in different countries means non-certified products can become certified if they are simply taken to the right port. Other ways of mitigating bycatch Implement gear technology (changes in fishing gear and practices) documented to mitigate cetacean bycatch Buy tuna and other seafood that has a dolphin safe label. Buy Sustainable seafood. To find out which seafood is produced sustainably (i.e. using cetacean friendly gear), refer to World Wildlife Fund Global to access worldwide sustainable seafood guides Support sustainable seafood companies and restaurants Raise international awareness to assess, monitor and mitigate bycatch problems Create legislation on responsible fishing practices. Develop and promote industry adoption of "Best Practice Guidelines" for fishing operations References General references Alverson, DL, Freeburg, MH, Murawski, SA and JG Pope (1994). A global assessment of fisheries bycatch and discards. Fisheries Technical Paper. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome. 339 pp. Animal Freedom (2008) Cetacean Bycatch Barlow, J & Cameron, GA (2003). Field experiments show that acoustic pingers reduce marine mammal bycatch in the Californian drift gill net fishery. Marine Mammal Science. 19: 265-283. Boughton, DA, Fish, H, Pipal, K, Goin,