In the past 30 years, 10 million dolphins have been killed by the tuna industry in the South Pacific. On the average, one dolphin dies every four minutes.

This is ironic considering that the South Pacific Tuna Fleet accounts for only a mere 5 percent of the total worldwide production of tuna. Needless to say, some species have been so depleted that they are in danger of becoming extinct.

The fishing techniques used in the South Pacific must stop because it is responsible for the death of over 100,000 dolphins a year.

Sam LaBudde of the Earth Island Institute risked his life to document this travesty. In order to gain proof he spent four months on a tuna vessel as a crew member video taping this method of tuna fishing.

For unknown reasons, yellowfish tuna of the South Pacific travel beneath schools of dolphins. The tuna fleets therefore target dolphin schools for their nets. Helicopters and high-powered speed boats corral the tuna while an immense net encircles the school. The net is closed by a type of drawstring on the bottom.

Explosives are often used to herd the dolphins to the far end of the net. Attempts to free the dolphins from the net often fail and they become entangled in the net.

Dolphins are mammals and breathe air through a dorsal blowhole and drown, or are crushed, when they are dragged aboard the vessel.

Due to public pressure to stop the dolphin killings, which numbered in the 1950s and 1960s up to 500,000 "accidental deaths" each year, the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972. This mandated that commercial operator's marine mammal kills be "reduced to insufficient levels approaching zero."

In 1984, an amendment was added in order to put pressure on foreign tuna fleets which today are responsible for 80 percent of the killings. It ordered foreign nations to reduce their killings comparable to U.S. quotas or else they would be prohibited from the U.S. market.

On paper, these laws appear to be a positive step toward stopping the killing of innocent and intelligent dolphins. Unfortunately, this fails to be the case.

The U.S. fleet has a 20,500 quota and last year was beneath it with 14,000 deaths. This may be due to the fact that 70 U.S. vessels have deliberately been placed under foreign registry.

However, the foreign tuna fleet has expanded and correspondingly its dolphin mortality rate has risen to more than 78,000 dolphins in 1987.

Earth Island Institute, an organization dedicated to saving the dolphins, urges consumers to boycott tuna and write to the tuna companies. Only through such economic action will the tuna companies change their fishing methods.

Considering the odds, the dolphins need as much public support as possible. The population of the Eastern spinner has declined by as much as 80 percent since the fishing technique of netting dolphins began.

Millions of people are delighted by dolphins. Their curiosity and intelligence have endeared them to the hearts of young and old alike all over the world. Reflecting upon the joy and pleasure dolphins have given to man, the time has come to give them something in return -- the right to life.

Sam LaBudde from the Earth Island Institute is coming to Penn State to discuss what we can do to stop this needless and cruel slaughter of these intelligent and gentle mammals. This needs your attention because the Heinz Company in Pittsburgh buys yellowfin tuna and the University serves this tuna to you and me.

Please come to the HUB information table this week and sign a petition calling for the needless massacre to end. Also learn more about what you can do by attending Sam LaBudde's talk at 8 tonight in 102 Chambers.