Program Term Archive
Marine Wildlife
Alternative Fishing Gear
Marine WildlifeAWI works with regulators, scientists, environmental groups, the fishing industry, and other partners to support the use of alternative fishing gear and practices that minimize bycatch of marine wildlife.
Wild vs. Captivity
Marine WildlifeThe lives of cetaceans in the wild is vastly different from their lives in captivity. Here are some of the greatest differences including those in social structure, diet, sensory environment,...
The Captivity Industry
Marine WildlifeCetaceans in captivity experience significant physical and psychological harm, as confinement, performance training, and forced interactions strip them of natural behaviors and social structures. These practices prioritize entertainment over welfare,...
Capture and Trade
Marine WildlifeCapturing and trading in marine wildlife—removing free-ranging wildlife from their natural habitats for human use—occurs globally. Marine wildlife is especially difficult to propagate artificially (that is, to breed in captivity);...
Aboriginal Subsistence
Marine WildlifeThe International Whaling Commission (IWC) allows for whaling on otherwise protected animals when it is conducted by certain indigenous people to satisfy subsistence needs. The rules for aboriginal subsistence whaling (ASW)...
Human Activities and Threats
Marine WildlifeThough the oceans may seem endless, they are not infinitely resilient. Humans have affected the oceans for millennia, but the past several centuries have seen a dramatic acceleration as we...
Ballenas y Delfines en Cautividad
Marine WildlifeAnálisis de la industria de delfines en cautiverio y las repercusiones perjudiciales de los programas de “nadar con delfines”
Sharks at Risk
Marine WildlifeOverview of how overfishing and the fin trade is seriously depleting shark populations worldwide.
Small Cetaceans, Big Problems
Marine WildlifeDetailed report containing information on hunts of small cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) across the globe, by country. Overall, approximately 100,000 small cetaceans are estimated to be intentionally killed each...