Author of Eco-Labeling Study, Critical of Earth Island Institute, Awarded Doctorate Degree
by Campaign for Eco-Safe Tuna
October 20, 2014
Yes, (attempt to) kill the messenger. That will prove that you, Earth Island Institute, are a legitimate and credible environmental organization.
Earth Island has reached the end of their tenuous claim to legitimacy as a self-professed protector of our world's oceans. They're most recent effort to silence naysayers proves it.
Earlier this year, researchers from the highly respected Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands released a study that found Earth Island's "dolphin-safe" label lacks credibility and legitimacy as a guide for consumers seeking dolphin-safe tuna. The study, written by Alice M. Miller and Simon R. Bush and published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, concludes that, while Earth Island's "dolphin-safe" label fails every test for a transparent and verifiable certification program, the label exercises great authority in the marketplace to the exclusion of other more credible and legitimate options. This scientific, peer-reviewed research was apparently not what Earth Island wanted everyone else to hear.
Not liking the conclusions of the Wageningen University study, Earth Island responded by accusing the study of being built on "lies, fraud and researcher misconduct." These false and unfounded accusations were addressed by the university's Integrity Committee, while Earth Island demanded an immediate retraction.
Since then, Wageningen University has awarded Alice M. Miller her doctorate degree. (And the Committee has made its decision, clearing Dr. Miller's research of any allegations.) Clearly Earth Island's infantile efforts to malign the names of two highly qualified researchers and one of the world's most respected institutions in the fields of agriculture and fisheries have been found to lack any credibility...much like their "dolphin-safe" label.
At the end of her thesis defense, attended by members of the University's Ethics Review Panel, Dr. Miller was congratulated on the outstanding quality of both her research and her presentation, a testament to the quality of both. As noted by one of the members of the board, this research will have a major impact on the global tuna industry.
Congratulations, Dr. Miller! Your hard work and research are helping the fishing industry make great strides in advancing responsible stewardship across our oceans. And as for you, Earth Island Institute, shame on you.
