What else is in your tuna can? Group urges boycott

Step away from that tuna can.

Its "dolphin safe" label produces warm feelings, but don't mistake it for "turtle safe" or "ocean safe." And it's certainly not "tuna safe." Accidental entanglements of sharks, sea turtles, juvenile tuna and other marine creatures take their own ecological toll -- prompting the Monterey Bay Aquarium's well-regarded Seafood Watch consumer guide to take an unusual step: It recently began telling consumers to avoid all canned tuna, except for the minority labeled "troll caught" or "pole-and-line" caught. That describes precious few cans, typically from small brands selling for around $2.50 to $6.50.

Yes, the canned tuna in U.S. supermarkets is dolphin safe. So is the tuna of more than 90% of the world's tuna canners -- a big eco-marketing accomplishment. The marketing and labels are effective for selling tuna, but extremely misleading if you think the label means environmentally safe, as you'll see in the list farther below.