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Resources for Fishing Vessel Captains

U.S. regulations require fishing vessel captains to sign and submit statements attesting to how tuna was harvested for it to be certified as dolphin-safe.

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Captain's Statements

For tuna harvested within most fisheries to qualify as “dolphin safe” in the United States, U.S. regulations require a written statement from the captain of the vessel certifying:

  • 1) “No purse seine net or other fishing gear was intentionally deployed on or used to encircle dolphins during the fishing trip on which the tuna were caught, and no dolphins were killed or seriously injured in the sets or other gear deployments in which the tuna were caught."
  • 2) The vessel captain has completed the Tuna Tracking and Verification Program Dolphin-Safe Captain's Training Course.

This written statement from the fishing vessel captain is referred to as a Captain's Statement.

A template has been made available to help identify the correct wording required in this written statement. Captains are not required to use this template, but it is provided as a courtesy. The correct wording required is also found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR 216.91(a)(3)(iii)(A) and (B).

International Dolphin Conservation Program Certificates

Captain's Statements are not required for large purse seine vessels (purse seine vessels having a carrying capacity of over 400 short tons (362.8 metric tons)) fishing in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Instead, for that fishery, valid documentation signed by a representative of the appropriate International Dolphin Conservation Program (IDCP) Member Nation must accompany shipments of tuna and tuna products certified as dolphin-safe. This documentation, also known as an IDCP certificate, must certify:

  • 1) An IDCP-approved observer was on board the vessel during the entire trip.
  • 2) "No purse seine net was intentionally deployed on or used to encircle dolphins during the fishing trip; and no dolphins were killed or seriously injured in the sets in which the tuna were caught."
  • 3) The certificate must also include the numbers for the associated Tuna Tracking Forms.

*Note: A dolphin-safe certificate issued by a company or manufacturer in lieu of an IDCP certificate will not satisfy the requirement for valid documentation signed by a representative of the appropriate IDCP member nation.

Dolphin-Safe Captain’s Training Course

Captains may complete NMFS’ Tuna Tracking and Verification Program Dolphin-Safe Captain's Training Course by reading all of the information online or by downloading the PDF version (PDF, 10 pages). 

* Reading the publications linked within the course is optional. No course registration or certificate of completion will be issued. Captains certify completion of the training course on their written statement.*

Training Course and Template Translations

NOAA Fisheries has translated the Dolphin-Safe Captain’s Training Course and Captain’s Statement template into eight languages to ensure the vast majority of languages spoken by captains harvesting tuna are covered. All courses are available for download in PDF format. See below.

More Information

Contact Us

For questions related to dolphin-safe tuna certification or tuna import requirements, contact the Tuna Tracking and Verification Program (TTVP) at  swrtuna.track@noaa.gov or visit our program’s contact directory.

Last updated by Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce on 04/09/2026

Dolphin-Safe Tuna Tracking and Verification Program