AWI Quarterly Term Archive

Quick Read

ORCA Act Reintroduced

Marine Wildlife

Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) reintroduced the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act (HR 1584), in March 2017. The original bill—introduced in November 2015—was quite simple: It would have amended the...

Organic Animal Welfare Standards Published, but Put on Hold

Farmed Animals

AWI has worked to improve animal welfare standards under the US Department of Agriculture’s Certified Organic label for over 15 years. In early 2017, our efforts helped lead the USDA...

AWI in China to Address Cetacean Captivity

Marine Wildlife

Dr. Naomi Rose, AWI’s marine mammal scientist, traveled to China in December to visit and evaluate several captive marine mammal facilities. She also gave two public presentations in Chengdu, one...

Hawaii Resort Nixes Captive Dolphin Plan

Marine Wildlife

In a sure sign of changing times, a resort development on Oahu has abandoned plans to include a captive dolphin attraction at its facility. Atlantis Ko Olina (a new addition...

Vaquita: On the Brink 

Endangered Species, Marine Wildlife

Two years ago, scientists estimated that only 100 vaquita porpoises remained in Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California. In April 2015, as vaquitas continued to die due to entanglement in fishing...

Pierre Pfeffer

Terrestrial Wildlife

The African elephants have lost a grand and valiant champion. Pierre Pfeffer, director of research at both the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and France’s National Center for...

Alexey Yablokov

Marine Wildlife

Dr. Alexey Yablokov, described as Russia’s “environmental knight” and as the “grandfather of Russian ecology,” passed away on January 10 at the age of 83. Dr. Yablokov authored over 500...

AWI Seeks to Halt Use of Poison on Coyotes

Terrestrial Wildlife

In January, AWI and allies submitted a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency to cancel the registration of Compound 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate), used in “livestock protection collars” by the USDA’s...

AWI’s Graphic Novel About Ivory Trade Debuts in China

Terrestrial Wildlife

Nearly 10,000 copies of a Chinese language edition of A Dangerous Life, a graphic novel for middle school–aged readers about the ivory trade, are being distributed this year to school children...

Ringling Bros. Folds Up the Big Top

Terrestrial Wildlife

In a surprise move, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced in January that it is closing down, effective May 2017, after 146 years in operation. In explaining the...