AWI Quarterly Term Archive

Government/Legal

IUCN Task Force Tabs 46 Atlantic Areas for Potential Marine Mammal Protection

Marine Wildlife

On May 20, the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced 46 new candidate Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) for the...

Stubborn Whalers Take to Sea Despite Sinking Demand

Marine Wildlife

The start of summer 2024 signaled a fitful continuation of the commercial whaling still conducted by three nations: Iceland, Norway, and Japan. Two years ago, Iceland killed 148 fin whales,...

CITES Animals Committee Considers Host of Wildlife Trade Issues

Marine Wildlife, Terrestrial Wildlife

AWI joined several hundred delegates representing nearly 80 countries and a similar number of observer organizations in Geneva this July for the 33rd meeting of the Convention on International Trade in...

Advancing Animal Protection in Ocean Policy

Marine Wildlife

In June, AWI staff members attended Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in Washington, DC. CHOW—which brings together scientists, policymakers, scholars, businesses, and conservation...

Animal Welfare in Upcoming Appropriations

Equines, Farmed Animals

Spending bills for the 2025 fiscal year are shaping up in Congress, and AWI is working to ensure animal welfare measures are included. The Senate Agriculture Appropriations report includes first-of-its-kind...

Hawai‘i Says “Don’t” to DIY Pet Surgery

Companion Animals

Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green signed HB 1527 in July, finally closing a loophole in the state’s cruelty statute that allowed any person (or unlicensed veterinarian) to perform surgery on a...

Horseracing Safety Measures Survive Challenge

Equines

In June, the US Supreme Court declined to take up a case involving a challenge to the oversight authority of the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) by the...

Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act Introduced

Farmed Animals

In June, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act (HR 8699) to improve conditions for livestock transported across the United States. The bill would prohibit...

Envigo Plea Deal Sets Record

Animals in Laboratories

Biomedical company Envigo made headlines in 2022 for atrocious conditions documented at its Virginia beagle-breeding facility, accumulating over 60 citations for noncompliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) within one...

Seminar Examines Global Impacts of Animal Law

Terrestrial Wildlife

In July, Caroline Griffin, vice chair of AWI’s board of directors, and Robin Jacobsohn, AWI’s general counsel, participated in the inaugural International Animal Law Commission Seminar, hosted by the International...