Colombia has banned
the sale of piracatinga fish after our campaigning. This is incredible news for
pink river dolphins whose meat is used to bait the catfish
We’re delighted about the Colombian
government’s decision to protect pink river dolphins, also known as boto, by
banning the sale of piracatinga fish. We’ve been campaigning on this issue for
four years from our Brazilian and Latin American offices.
306,000 people, mainly in Latin America, signed up to show
their support for our campaign. Each one of them helped us achieve this ban.
It’s a win for our organisation, our supporters, other organisations who’ve
campaigned on the issue, the fish, and of course the dolphins.
Reducing cruelty
Pink river dolphins are cruelly killed and
used to entice piracatinga fish, who are drawn towards their meat, making it
easier for fishermen to catch the fish.
We expect the cruel killing of pink river
dolphins for bait to dramatically drop, now the ban has been put in place.
Celebrity support
The ban was announced a month after we
launched a video featuring ten Colombian celebrities, who were asking people to
stop eating piracatinga fish."We have no doubt that this video was
instrumental in obtaining this ban. The fisheries authority of Colombia used
the mercury concentration as one of the main reasons for the ban, but in a
communication directed to us, they recognised their commitment with the
protection of dolphins internationally," explains Roberto Vieto
from our wildlife campaign team in Brazil.
The veil is lifted for
consumers
The ban puts an end to the deception of people
who bought piracatinga fish without knowing the full story behind their food.
The ban does not only help end the slaughter
of pink river dolphins in the Amazon. It protects the health of Colombians,
since the piracatinga fish often has high levels of mercury, which is ingested
by people who eat the fish.
When announcing the ban, the Colombian
government confirmed that there are high levels of mercury in the fish, which
poses a threat to public health.
Enforcing the ban
Anyone who fails to comply with the ban may be
fined, have their permission suspended or revoked, have their boat, equipment
or products confiscated, or their property closed.
We hope that the government of Colombia will
persist with enforcing the ban, and end the sale of piracatinga in fishmongers
and other stores.
An achievement for
many
As well as our supporters, this achievement is
also thanks to other organisations who campaigned on the issue and researched
it, including the Omacha Foundation and the University of the Andes.\
We’ve seen an increase in activities and
positive messages about the protection of pink river dolphins in Amazonian
fishing communities, which is another great sign that our campaigning is
working.
FROM THE DESK OF ANIMAL RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
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