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| The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Charity |
| Founded | 1969, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Headquarters | Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts |
| Key people | Frederick O’Regan Thomas C. Ramey |
| Industry | Conservation |
| Products | Landmark & framework legislation, research, activism. |
| Revenue | $91 Million USD (2005) |
| Employees | 300+ (worldwide) |
| Website | http://www.ifaw.org/ |
Founding
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was founded by a small group of people in 1969 to stop the commercial hunt for seal pups in Canada. Many hundreds of thousands of seals are still (2006) being hunted there. One of IFAW's founders, and probably its most famous member, is Brian Davies. Davies demanded a payout of about US$2 million on leaving IFAW in 1997 that enabled IFAW to continue to use his name and image in their fundraising after he had left. This sparked allegations that Davies, and IFAW, saw money as more important than helping animals. [citation needed]
Today, with offices in 15 countries, IFAW is one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the world. The work of IFAW’s global team of campaigners, legal and political experts and scientists is concentrated in three areas: reducing commercial exploitation of wild animals; protecting wildlife habitats; and providing emergency relief to animals in distress.
Core Vision
IFAW’s founders believe that the fate and future of all animals on Earth are inextricably linked to our own. IFAW believes in finding solutions to animal welfare and conservation challenges that provide lasting benefits for animals and people. The organization has described its vision as “Animals and people sharing a world where the well-being of animals is protected and respect for nature is universal.”
Organizational Mission Statement
The International Fund for Animal Welfare works to improve the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats and assisting animals in distress.
IFAW seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of both animals and people.
Activities
• Locally and globally, IFAW conducts marine mammal research and educate from their ship, called Song of the Whale. •
They work with rescuing and releasing whales, dolphins and porpoises that have stranded or been entangled in nets and fishing
gear.
• Promoting whale watching, as IFAW believes it to be a sustainable alternative to whale hunting.
• IFAW aims to protect the last 350 critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, and have therefor developed acoustic
detection systems, and collaborate with lobstermen, commercial fishers and shipping industries to prevent collisions with ships
and gear entanglements.
• IFAW Animal Action Week, through which they are educating more than two million children worldwide about animal welfare and
wildlife conservation issues.
• Through their Community-Linked Animal Welfare (CLAW) projects, the IFAW aims to help companion animals in underserved
communities around the world.
• They have training customs officers and game wardens in many countries, to prevent the killing of endangered species.
• Carrying out legislative and educational campaigns across the globe. This is an effort to try to prevent cruelty to animals,
preserve endangered species, and protect wildlife habitats.
Animals in Crisis & Distress (AICD)
In addition to animal welfare education, habitat management, the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned animals, and legislative efforts on behalf of all animals, IFAW’s campaigns focus on several key species including whales, elephants, , seals, bears, and companion animals.
IFAW’s has an Emergency Relief team that in the past has helped save injured or orphaned wildlife and companion animals including oiled seabirds in North and South America, South Africa, Europe and elsewhere, companion animals injured and abandoned after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the USA and the 2005 and 2006 tsunamis in Southeast Asia, and marine mammals stranded on beaches or trapped in fishing gear in the USA and Canada. IFAW also helps orphaned and injured wild animals by aiding sanctuaries in South Africa, Kenya, China, India, Russia, and the United States.
Wildlife & Habitat Protection (WHP)
Since IFAW believes that the destruction of natural habitats is a threat to wildlife and people, they provide Kenya’s Meru and Tsavo National Parks, Malawi’s Liwonde National Parks as well as wildlife law enforcement officials in China and other nations with operating funds and ranger training. IFAW uses environmental education, job training and human-animal conflict resolution, with the goal to help local communities coexist with wildlife.
Protection Against Commercial Trade (PACT)
Since IFAW believes that international commercial trade in wildlife products, is a major cause of species extinction and cruelty to individual animals, they work with the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to help control this. IFAW also cooperate directly with many nations, from Kenya to China, to train anti-poaching rangers and customs officials. IFAW collaborates with law enforcement agencies and conducts campaigns to stop the trade in elephant ivory, as well as souvenirs and traditional medicines that contain animal parts.
Companion Animals
Pet overpopulation.
Publications
- Annual report: Annual Reports highlight IFAW’s yearly accomplishments, focus on their efforts to create a better world for both animals and people.[1]
- IFAW newsletters: Newsletters about IFAW's work, work aimed to protect animals and their environments worldwide. [2]
- Animal campaign fact sheets: Information sheets that describe various IFAW campaigns aimed to rescue animals and prevent animal cruelty. [3]
- Program publications: Publications produced by IFAW, covering the issues and the science, as well as some of their campaign advertisements. [4]
NGO Status
IFAW is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
External links
- Official website
- Image Library
- IFAW's Animal Rescue Blog
- Anti-Whaling campaign site
- Wildlife Trust of India - IFAW Partner website
- My Animal Island – youth site
- Seal Campaign site
- Animal Action Week
- Latin NewsWire talks with Fred O'Regan, IFAW's President
- Latin NewsWire talks with Beatriz Bugeda, IFAW's Director for Latin America
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