Vaquita Population Plummets to Just 60 Individuals
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Scientists have announced that fewer than 60 vaquita porpoises likely remain on Earth, down from 245 in 2008. The vaquita is the world’s smallest and most endangered porpoise, found only in Mexico’s northern Gulf of...
130,000 Call on Olive Garden to Adopt Ethical 'Good Food' Practices
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Washington, DC— Advocacy organizations and their supporters demonstrated at Olive Garden restaurants across the United States today to urge the chain and its parent company, Darden Restaurant Inc.,to improve food-sourcing and labor practices.
Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin Moves Toward Endangered Species Act Protection
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
The National Marine Fisheries Service today took a step toward protecting rare Taiwanese humpback dolphins, finding that listing the species under the Endangered Species Act may be warranted. The decision comes in response to a...
AWI Statement on Ringling Bros. Ending Elephant Acts
Friday, April 29, 2016
May 1 marks the end of elephants being hauled around the country to perform for Ringling Bros. circus. While we celebrate the termination of this cruel and archaic practice, tragically, the elephants will not be...
Mendocino County Cancels Lethal Predator Control
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
In a major victory for opponents of animal cruelty, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has agreed to perform a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and immediately suspend...
New Hampshire Withdraws Proposal for Bobcat Hunting and Trapping Seasons
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department today withdrew a proposed administrative rule that would have allowed bobcat hunting and trapping in the state for the first time since 1989.
AWI Statement on Proposed Animal Welfare Regulations for the Certified Organic Label
Thursday, April 07, 2016
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for proposing requirements for the welfare of animals raised under the Certified Organic label. AWI generally supports the proposed regulations, which are based...
Groups Welcome Federal Agency's Decision to Protect Russian Beluga Whales
Monday, April 04, 2016
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Cetacean Society International (CSI), Earth Island Institute (EII), and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) lauded the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for its proposed designation of the Sakhalin Bay-Amur River...
Norwegian Whale Meat Linked to Country's Fur Industry
Thursday, March 31, 2016
As the Norwegian whaling industry prepares for the start of the 2016 whaling season, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today released a document that indicates Norwegian fur farms have used...
Largest US Restaurant Company Targeted over Treatment of Workers, Animals, Environment
Thursday, March 24, 2016
A coalition of environmental, social justice, and animal welfare groups announced a campaign today calling on Olive Garden and its parent company, Darden Restaurant Inc., the nation’s largest full-service restaurant employer, to do more to...
Groups Seek Endangered Species Act Protection for Florida Black Bears
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Renowned scientists and over a dozen conservation and animal-protection organizations, including the Animal Welfare Institute, submitted a scientific petition to the US Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect the Florida black bear under the...
Eight Members of Congress Honored for Defending Wildlife, Endangered Species Act
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Eight members of Congress were recognized yesterday by leading national conservation groups for their critical role in protecting the Endangered Species Act. The “Champions of the Endangered Species Act” reception featured former Secretary of the...
AWI's Statement on SeaWorld Ending Orca Breeding Program
Thursday, March 17, 2016
The Animal Welfare Institute welcomes the announcement today by SeaWorld that it will end the company-wide breeding program for its orcas, which will lead to a phase-out of the display of orcas in all of...
Protection Sought for Critically Endangered Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin
Wednesday, March 09, 2016
Three US conservation groups petitioned the federal government today to protect Taiwanese humpback dolphins under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to help prevent the extinction of a population that now numbers fewer than 75 dolphins...
Icelandic Whaling Remains Target At Boston Seafood Expo
Thursday, March 03, 2016
Members of the “Don’t Buy from Icelandic Whalers” coalition have affirmed that their campaign will continue until Iceland permanently ends commercial whaling and international trading of whale products, despite breaking news that Icelandic whaling company...
US House of Representatives Passes Controversial Bill Aimed at Gutting Wildlife Protections
Monday, February 29, 2016
On Friday, the US House of Representatives passed the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act of 2015 (H.R. 2406)—a sweeping pro-trophy hunting and trapping bill—by a largely partisan vote of 242 to 161. The...
Disappearance of Goats, Rabbits at Santa Cruz Biotechnology Raises Questions About Facility's Future
Friday, February 19, 2016
A recently released United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection report from January 2016 discloses that Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (SCBT), one of the world’s largest producers of animal-derived research antibodies, has eliminated its entire...
North Carolina Landowners Express Support for Recovery of Endangered Red Wolves
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Private landowners in the five counties of North Carolina where red wolves roam signed a petition, sent today to U.S Fish and Wildlife Service director Dan Ashe, expressing their support for keeping endangered red wolves...
AWI Expresses Disappointment over SeaWorld's Lawsuit against California Coastal Commission Orca Decision
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is disappointed to learn that SeaWorld San Diego has filed a lawsuit against the State of California, challenging an October 8 decision by the California Coastal Commission (CCC). The CCC...
Investigation Sheds Light on Deception of "Free Range" Poultry Labels
Thursday, December 17, 2015
As consumers hit supermarkets this month to prepare for holiday gatherings, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) today issued results from its investigation of approximately 90 brand-name poultry products. The results, presented in a report entitled...