Marine conservationists in Hawaii have carried out undercover investigations which they claim prove that one-third of whale meat sold in Japan is actually dolphin.

President of Earthtrust, Don White: It is alarming (23")

The scientists , part of a conservation group called Earthtrust, perfected kits for analysing the DNA of individual species of whale and dolphin.

They then spent months in Japan testing the DNA in tinned "whale meat".

The scientists discovered that increasing quantities of dolphin are being marketed as whale meat, a Japanese delicacy.

Earthtrust says 30% of tins of whale meat are actually dolphin

Dolphin meat, they say, now accounts for as much as 30% of all products sold as whale meat.

Earthtrust is calling for better labelling laws to be introduced for the consumer and have stepped up their campaign to protect the dolphins.

Dolphins - those friendly and intelligent sea mammals - have long fascinated scientists and the public alike.

Nevertheless, protecting them from indiscriminate fishing nets has not been an easy task.

The scientists in Hawaii are hoping that pioneering work on dolphin DNA and intelligence will strengthen the moral case against the killing of dolphins.

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