AWI Quarterly Articles | Marine Wildlife

AWI seeks to persuade not just the general public and policymakers, but zoos and aquariums themselves, that cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) do not belong in captivity. Accordingly, AWI’s Dr. Naomi Rose agreed to participate...

For years, the animal protection community, including AWI, has maintained that the tank for Lolita, the lone orca who has languished for over 45 years at the Miami Seaquarium, does not meet the minimum space...

Japan has adopted a new law that (1) guarantees huge state subsidies for its otherwise nonviable whaling industry, (2) seeks to raise demand for whale meat, and (3) establishes penalties against foreign protesters. With uncharacteristic...

On July 6, AWI cosponsored a “Save the Vaquita” rally at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC. The well-attended gathering (despite pouring rain) received wide coverage in Mexican media and followed a flurry of actions...

Eight North Atlantic right whales have died since early June, a devastating blow to a population that numbers roughly 500. This disaster has been compounded by the tragic death of Joe Howlett, a founding member...

Maryland has placed a two-year moratorium on killing contests targeting cownose rays. The new law also directs the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to create a fishery management plan for the species by the end...

In 2012, the animal protection community was shocked to learn that an orca (later named Narnia) had been captured in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia. This was a huge step backward in a world otherwise...

On April 25, a World Trade Organization arbitrator ruled that Mexico can pursue retaliatory measures against the United States for the $163 million a year Mexico claims to lose because of US import restrictions on...

For the second year in a row, Kristján Loftsson, CEO of the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur, stated that there will likely be no commercial fin whale hunt this summer. For the past several years, AWI...

Mexico implemented a two-year ban on gillnets in April 2015 throughout the Upper Gulf of California to reduce vaquita deaths. Despite this, three of the tiny porpoises were found dead in March 2016, another three...