Program Term Archive
Whaling
Gray Whale Hunt Edges Toward Approval Amid Staggering Population Decline
Endangered Species, Marine WildlifeIn March, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) sought public comment on the Makah Tribe’s request for a permit under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to hunt gray whales...
History of Whaling
Marine WildlifeOver centuries, commercial whaling grew from a small Basque coastal practice into a massive global industry that pushed many whale species to the edge of extinction. Growing public concern eventually...
Stop Congress from Gutting the Marine Mammal Protection Act
Marine WildlifeFor over 50 years, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) has safeguarded marine mammals from harm, preventing population declines and accelerating their recovery. By aiming to ensure that these animals...
Yahoo! Japan Sells Polluted Whale and Dolphin Meat Products to Unsuspecting Consumers
Press ReleaseJune 16, 2025Marine WildlifeThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and an international coalition of animal protection and environmental groups are calling on Yahoo! Japan and its parent company, the LY Corporation, to stop selling...
Whaling
Marine WildlifeThe hunting and killing of species of “great” whales, including blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales, is termed “whaling” and is practiced both for subsistence—known today as aboriginal subsistence whaling...
As Iceland Calls Off Fin Whale Slaughter, Japan and Norway Launch Cruel, Unsustainable Whale Hunting Seasons
Press ReleaseApril 25, 2025Marine WildlifeJapan and Norway resumed slaughtering whales this month, while Iceland’s only fin whaling company has decided that it will not hunt this summer, citing a declining demand for whale meat...
US Government Agrees to Halt Seafood Imports Tied to Deadly Bycatch of Whales, Dolphins, Other Marine Mammals
Press ReleaseJanuary 16, 2025Marine WildlifeConservation groups reached an agreement today that will require the United States to stop importing seafood that does not meet US standards for protecting marine mammals. The seafood ban will go into...
AWI Appalled by Iceland’s Plan to Hunt More Than 2,000 whales
Press ReleaseDecember 5, 2024Marine WildlifeThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is deeply disappointed by today’s announcement that Iceland’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries has issued whaling permits that could result in the death of more than...
NOAA Greenlights Gray Whale Hunt for Makah Tribe
Press ReleaseJune 14, 2024Marine WildlifeThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is disappointed with yesterday’s decision by federal regulators to issue a waiver of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to the Makah Tribe of Washington state to...
New Analysis: Troubling Levels of Forever Chemicals Found in Norwegian Whale Meat
Press ReleaseJune 13, 2024Marine WildlifeThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and other animal protection and conservation organizations are calling on the Norwegian government to expand testing of all whale meat sold for human consumption and...