Press Releases

During the 66 th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), conservation organizations openly criticized the fact that actions against commercial whaling are absent from the IWC agenda. A petition directed at the European Union...

The California Superior Court issued an order yesterday denying Monterey County’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit, filed in June by animal protection and conservation organizations, that challenges the county’s contract renewal with the US Department...

In a letter sent today to Nation’s Restaurant News , a coalition of 15 environmental, animal welfare and worker justice organizations with over 10 million supporters expressed dismay over the publication’s decision to honor Gene...

In a big step forward for animals around the world, President Obama signed the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Act into law. This bipartisan legislation was championed by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and...

Twenty US senators signed a letter voicing their concerns over numerous anti-wildlife provisions that are currently being negotiated in the energy bill conference.

The Animal Welfare Institute and the Center for Biological Diversity today filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Agriculture and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that endangered ocelots aren’t inadvertently killed...

JOHANNESBURG — Wildlife law enforcement champions from nine countries were recognized today with the Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award at the 17 th Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Convention on International...

The US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina today issued a preliminary injunction that orders the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to stop capturing and killing—and authorizing private landowners to capture...

A coalition of conservation and animal protection organizations confirmed today that more than 1,500 metric tons of products from endangered Icelandic fin whales were shipped to Japan in July 2016. The discovery comes just prior...

Fifty-four members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter today to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, urging the United States to vocally and strongly support the highest level of protections for African...

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the Animal Protection League of New Jersey (APLNJ) today provided video footage to all members of the New Jersey Legislature demonstrating the barbarity of enclosed leghold traps. In contravention...

Washington, DC—California Governor Jerry Brown officially signed groundbreaking legislation yesterday, prohibiting the breeding and theatrical performance of captive orcas in California, as well as their export, consistent with federal law, out of North America.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued an announcement today on the future of the red wolf recovery program, including both for captive wolves and the wild red wolves, the only wild population...

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) welcomes the introduction of a new federal bill—spearheaded by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)—that would restrict the use of body-gripping traps on public lands administered by the US Departments of Agriculture...

The World Conservation Congress today formally adopted a motion against Japan’s research whaling program, which is used as a front to kill whales for commercial sale. The motion calls on Japan to stop issuing “special...

Steel-jaw leghold traps, widely criticized for being indiscriminate and inhumane, are presently prohibited or significantly restricted in the majority of countries around the world. According to research released today by the Library of Congress...

Washington, DC—The California legislature today sent historic legislation to Governor Jerry Brown that would prohibit the breeding and theatrical performance of captive orcas in California, as well as their export, consistent with federal law, out...

Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) announced today the winners of its Christine Stevens Wildlife Award . Established in 2006, the Christine Stevens Wildlife Award provides grants of up to $10,000 to help fund studies...

Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and the Natural Resources Defense Council make the following statement regarding President Obama and President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico’s commitments on the imperiled vaquita, announced today http://bit.ly/2a6uP2R

On June 22, 2016, Georgia Aquarium announced that it will no longer acquire any cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) for its exhibits from the wild. Along with this announcement, Georgia Aquarium released a media kit...