International Fund for Animal Welfare

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Type	Charitable trust
Founded	1969, New Brunswick, Canada
Headquarters	Yarmouth Port, Cape Cod Massachusetts
Key people	Fred O’Regan, Thomas C. Ramey
Industry	Conservation
Products	Landmark & framework legislation, research, activism.
Revenue	$91 Million USD (2005)
Employees	300+ (worldwide)
Website	www.ifaw.org

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is currently one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world.

The group says its mission is "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".^[1]

History

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. One of IFAW's founders, and possibly its most well known member, is Brian Davies.

Today (per April 2008), with offices in 16 countries,^[2] 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.

In the United Kingdom, IFAW played a pivotal role as a member of a coalition of groups campaigning to put a stop to hunting with dogs.^[3]

Activities

• Locally and globally, IFAW conducts marine mammal research and educate from their ship, called Song of the Whale.
• Rescuing and releasing whales, dolphins and porpoises that have stranded or been entangled in nets and fishing gear.
• Promoting whale watching, as an alternative to whale hunting.
• IFAW aims to protect the last 350 critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, and have developed acoustic detection systems, and collaborate with lobstermen, commercial fishers and shipping industries to prevent collisions with ships and gear entanglements.
• Through the Animal Action Week, the IFAW educate 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.
• IFAW 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.

IFAW's AICD department was merged with it's wildlife and habitat to create one department known as Programs. This was due to larger restructuring efforts underway mainly resulting from greatly reduced funding. IFAW also reduced its workforce by more than 100 employees worldwide.

Wildlife & Habitat Protection (WHP)

IFAW campaign image

IFAW believes that the destruction of natural habitats is a threat to wildlife and people. Therefor they provide operating funds and ranger training to Meru and Tsavo National Parks in Kenya, to Liwonde National Park in Malawi, and to wildlife law enforcement officials in China and other nations. 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)

IFAW campaign image

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. In 2007, IFAW supported the United Nations University initiative Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System, a wildlife enforcement and compliance monitoring tool. The project completed the development stage and is planned for national level implementation.

Controversy & Criticism

Brian Davies received a payout of about 2.5 million Canadian dollars, payable over seven years, on leaving IFAW in 1997. This to enable IFAW to continue to use his name and image in their fundraising after he had left.^[4] Through the Brian Davies Foundation, IFAW invested money in organizations that carry out animal experiments, such as Bausch & Lomb, US Surgicals, Glaxo, Merck, Abbot, Upjohn, Philip Morris and McDonalds. This, and Davies' payout, sparked allegations that Davies, and IFAW, saw money as more important than helping animals.^[5]

NGO Status

IFAW is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. IFAW is rated a 4-Star Charity by Charity Navigator and is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance having met all BBB's the Standards for Charity Accountability.

References

External links

• Official website
• IFAW Charitable Trust (ICT)
• Stop the Seal Hunt, IFAW's seal hunt campaign
• Stop Whaling Now, IFAW
• IFAW's Animal Rescue Blog
• IFAW in India - Wildlife Trust of India
• [1], Charity Navigator
• [2], Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance