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Latest News
UNESCO World Heritage Committee: Vaquita Porpoise Habitat Still “In Danger”
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided today to maintain the “in danger” status for the last remaining habitat of the vaquita porpoise and the totoaba fish.
Iceland to Resume Whaling with Restrictions
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Iceland will again allow fin whaling, beginning Sept. 1, but with stricter requirements, the country’s minister of food, agriculture and fisheries announced today.
US Proposes Ban on Imports, Exports of Banggai Cardinalfish
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has announced a proposed rule to ban the import and export of threatened Banggai cardinalfish, following a 2021 petition from conservation groups.
Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act Reintroduced to Protect Wildlife and Pets from Barbaric Traps and Snares
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act, reintroduced today in the US House of Representatives by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Congressional Animal Protection Caucus Co-Chair Earl...
Historic Settlement Secures Conservation of Endangered Red Wolves in the Wild
Wednesday, August 09, 2023
Conservation groups and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a historic settlement today to recommit to the conservation and recovery of the world’s only wild red wolf population, which in recent years dropped...
AWI Grants Promote Humane Solutions to Human-Wildlife Conflicts and Less Intrusive Methods of Wildlife Study
Friday, August 04, 2023
Today, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) announced the eight recipients of its Christine Stevens Wildlife Award who are developing innovative, less intrusive wildlife study techniques and more humane, nonlethal methods of resolving conflicts between wild...
“A Voice for Animals” Contest Winners Harness Multimedia to Save Dwindling Species
Monday, July 24, 2023
From documenting how tourist attractions intruded on the habitat of the Grand Cayman blue iguana, to discussing how post-pandemic housing insecurity impacts animals, the winners of the 2023 “A Voice for Animals” contest use creative...
The “Blackfish” Legacy: Captive Marine Mammal Industry Continues Decline
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
A decade after the documentary “Blackfish” examined the ethics and consequences of keeping orcas in captivity, marine theme parks and aquariums that feature cetaceans are struggling to remain relevant.
President Biden Declines to Embargo Products from Mexico for Vaquita Violation
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
President Biden announced yesterday that he will not embargo products from Mexico despite its failure to halt the illegal wildlife trade threatening the critically endangered vaquita porpoise.
New York to Become Ninth State to End Wildlife Killing Contests
Thursday, June 29, 2023
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds the New York legislature for recently passing a bill to ban wildlife killing contests.
AWI Files Federal Complaint After Baylor’s Failure to Protect Rats in Undergraduate Course
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has filed a complaint with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), raising significant issues about Baylor University’s mistreatment of rats in an undergraduate Learning & Behavior Lab course and the...
AWI Welcomes Halt to Iceland’s Whaling Season Due to Welfare Concerns
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) welcomes Iceland’s decision Monday to stop fin whale hunting until August 31, 2023.
Animal Welfare Groups Commend US Senators for Reintroducing Legislation to End Horse Slaughter
Friday, June 16, 2023
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and other animal protection organizations applaud today’s reintroduction in the US Senate of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (S. 2037/H.R. 3475).
As Bird Flu Infections Persist, Producers Must Develop Emergency Plans to Minimize Animal Suffering
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Today, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) petitioned the US Department of Agriculture to change its animal disease regulations to require that producers have in place audited emergency response plans, including strategies to humanely “depopulate” animals...
Bill Reintroduced to Ban Deadly “Cyanide Bombs” on Public Lands
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
A bill reintroduced today by US Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), and US Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) seeks to ban the use of wildlife-killing M-44 devices, commonly known as “cyanide bombs,” on...
USDA Announces Plans to Strengthen Substantiation of Animal-Raising Claims on Meat and Poultry Product Labels
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today that it will soon take steps to improve its label approval program for meat and poultry products to avoid misleading consumers.
Bill Reintroduced to Strengthen Vital Protections under the Animal Welfare Act
Wednesday, June 07, 2023
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) welcomes the reintroduction today of the Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act (AWEIA) by Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Nancy Mace (R-SC).
US-Funded Experiment Kills Minke Whale in Northern Norway
Wednesday, June 07, 2023
A controversial US-backed research study that aimed to capture whales in northern Norway and test how they would respond to ocean noise has resulted in the death of a minke whale, the Norwegian Defense Research...
Legislation Introduced to Phase Out Dangerous Mink Farms, Reimburse Farmers
Tuesday, June 06, 2023
US Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) has introduced legislation to phase out US mink farms within one year and establish a grant program to reimburse farmers for the full value of their operations.
United States Finds Mexico Is Undermining Wildlife Treaty, May Impose Embargo
Friday, May 26, 2023
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced today that Mexico has failed to halt the illegal wildlife trade threatening the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, diminishing the effectiveness of an international wildlife treaty.