As the previous AWI Quarterly was going to press, we received the stunning news of a USDA settlement with Santa Cruz Biotechnology (SCBT) with respect to allegations of repeated and egregious violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
It has been estimated that the current global species extinction rate is 100 extinctions per million species per year—1,000 times higher than the normal background rate (De Vos et al. 2014). Dr.
AWI is very pleased to report that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has denied a permit application by Georgia Aquarium and partners (including SeaWorld and Shedd Aquarium) to import 18 wild-caught beluga whales from Russia for the purposes of public display.
The ScottsMiracle-Gro Company was ordered in September to pay $12.5 million in civil and criminal fines and perform community service in connection with eleven criminal violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
Imagine finding your beloved horse on Facebook, in a kill pen bleeding to death with a severed artery, when you thought she was safe and happy in a loving home. That’s what happened to me, Brittany Wallace, on the morning of November 13, 2012, right after my dog Kona had died of kidney failure.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act celebrated its 45th anniversary last year, but a sizable faction in Congress seems intent on dismantling some of its core provisions.
Most of the 360 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-owned chimpanzees currently in laboratories should be permanently retired from research and moved to sanctuaries—which need to be expanded to accommodate the animals.
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is gravely disappointed that President Donald Trump signed legislation yesterday to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and allow for the lethal removal of nearly 1,000 sea lions a year.
Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration uncovered a correlation earlier this year between the interaction of the toxins DDT and domoic acid and the occurrence of epileptic seizures in California sea lions at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
On December 13, AWI’s Dr. Naomi Rose and her colleague Dr. Lori Marino of the Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy conducted a workshop on sea pen sanctuaries for cetaceans, in conjunction with the 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in San Francisco. The workshop addressed how and where to establish a coastal sanctuary for cetaceans who one day will be retired from captive display.
The nesting season of sea turtles has begun in the Northern Hemisphere. During this time, mother turtles digging nests in the sand are often disturbed by human beachgoers. Newborn hatchlings face similar disturbance when returning to the sea.
Iceland’s controversial fin whale hunt has now ended with a catch of 155 endangered fin whales, the largest slaughter since the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling. New evidence obtained on the ground by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) reveals the ongoing involvement of international seafood giant HB Grandi in the whaling business, despite its claims to the contrary.
On March 17, 2016, SeaWorld made a paradigm-shifting announcement. The company will end its captive breeding program for orcas. This policy will extend to all its parks, existing and planned, domestic and abroad. The orcas currently held by SeaWorld will be the last orcas held by SeaWorld.1
SeaWorld Orlando has again been fined and labeled a repeat offender by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for continuing to operate a workplace that can “cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds the finding by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that SeaWorld of Florida LLC willfully violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 in connection with its role in the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, who drowned after being pulled into a SeaWorld Orlando aquarium by an orca named Tilikum.
On November 12, SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., issued its third quarter financial report. While the results were not as catastrophic as its second quarter report in August—when, after its revenue and attendance figures took a nosedive, its stock fell 33 percent in a single day—its performance for the peak summer season was still decidedly lackluster.
Humane Deer Management, an organization established by Northern Virginia citizens dedicated to non-lethal control of the region’s deer population,launched the second phase of its “Deer Spay Project” today in Fairfax City, Virginia. A five-year surgical sterilization project aimed at reducing deer populations and improving human-deer interactions, the effort is designed to provide the city with a permanent and effective alternative to lethal management.
National Geographic’s newly released four-part docuseries, Secrets of the Elephants, streaming on Disney+, takes an in-depth look at the complex behaviors of elephants living in southern Asia and in savannas, rainforests, and the Namib Desert of Africa. Produced by James Cameron and narrated by Natalie Portman, the series provides a rich, engaging, and cautionary account of these highly imperiled gentle giants. Dr. Paula Kahumbu of WildlifeDirect, who has spent decades studying elephants, serves as primary guide during the series, providing keen insights into elephant society.
Older than the dinosaurs, so incredibly alien, and masters of disguise, octopuses take center stage in National Geographic’s docuseries Secrets of the Octopus. Produced by award-winning filmmaker James Cameron and narrated by actor Paul Rudd, the three episodes don’t disappoint, with incredible photography, beautiful locations, and interesting commentary from experts.
The Animal Welfare Institute applauds Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for joining AWI and the majority of Americans who feel there are better, more humane, more responsible options for horses nearing the end of their lives or their careers than being slaughtered for meat.
