Indonesian fishers who sued Bumble Bee, alleging years of forced labor while catching fish sold by the US tuna brand, responded to the company’s motion to dismiss their suit, arguing in the U.S. legal filing on July 31 that they have a right to have their allegations heard in court. This image was taken by Greenpeace USA activists in solidarity with these fishers. © Sandy Huffaker / Greenpeace SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (November 13, 2025) — The case of a group of Indonesian fishers who sued U.S. tuna brand Bumble Bee, alleging forced labor, will move forward, according to a judgment released by the Southern California federal district court yesterday. Their case, which cites years of research from the Greenpeace global network, alleges years of forced labor while catching fish sold by the company. Syafi’i, a plaintiff in the case, said: “I’m actually in tears. I am happy and overwhelmed. This gives me hope for justice for me and my fellow plaintiffs as we struggle for justice and change for the better. Our fight and sacrifice are not in vain in order to get justice for all of the fishers. I remain steadfast, strong, and enthusiastic.” The four fishers filed suit against Bumble Bee in March 2025 under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Investigations and supply chain research from the Greenpeace global network’s Beyond Seafood fisheries campaigns were used by the litigants’ attorneys to support this complaint. It is believed to be the first case of its kind against the seafood industry in the U.S., and one of only a few TVPRA supply chain cases to move past the motion to dismiss stage.  Sari Heidenreich, Senior Human Rights Advisor, Greenpeace USA, said: “This is a historic moment and an incredible victory for the fishers and the ocean. By allowing this case to move ahead, the court has given these fishers’ voices the space they deserve. We celebrate that the fishers will be allowed their day in court, recognizing this is monumental —  not only for these four men, who are brave enough to stand up to a giant U.S. corporation —  but for hundreds of thousands of fishers globally.” The court ruled that the fishers presented sufficient allegations of forced labor as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, noting that Bumble Bee did not contest the fishers were subject to forced labor. The court also found that Bumble Bee “likely had ‘notice about the prevalence’ of forced labor on the vessels from which it sourced tuna, ‘failed to take adequate steps to train staff in order to prevent its occurrence,’” had an “active role in obtaining albacore tuna from the vessels on which Plaintiffs were subject to forced labor,” and resold the tuna for profit.  Heidenreich continued: “This ruling once again affirms that U.S. companies have a responsibility to ensure the products they sell — including tuna that they market for you to pack for lunch — were not produced with the abhorrent crimes of forced labor and modern slavery. Allegations as horrific as those in the suit should never happen to these fishers or anyone else.  Seafood companies cannot continue to put profits over all else; they cannot continue this rabid exploitation of workers, the oceans, and marine life. They must act now to address the root causes of modern slavery and end isolation at sea. The global Greenpeace network’s Beyond Seafood Campaign has been working for over a decade to hold Big Seafood to account. It is an affirmation of the importance of this work that the campaign’s reports documenting these abuses were cited by the judge in her ruling.”  The judge’s ruling also cited numerous reports from Greenpeace East Asia and Greenpeace Southeast Asia as evidence that the company knew or should have known about forced labor on its supplying vessels. [1]  Arifsyah Nasution, Global Project Lead for Beyond Seafood Campaign, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said: “With this ruling, all of Big Seafood is officially on notice: exploitation at sea could land you in court at home. It is well known that physical violence, excessive working hours, and lack of payment — all conditions alleged in this lawsuit — are prevalent in the fishing industry and exacerbated by the overexploitation of our oceans.” The Greenpeace global network’s Beyond Seafood Campaign has called for concerted action by all stakeholders and governments along the seafood supply chain to end isolation at sea. This includes: Free, accessible, and secure Wi-Fi on all fishing vessels to allow fishers to have contact with their families, unions, and governments. Capping time at sea at three months to reduce the risk of human rights abuse, forced labor, and human trafficking. 100% human or electronic observer coverage to ensure vital data on catch composition, bycatch, interactions with protected species, and overall fishing practices are reported by independent and impartial parties. Freedom of association and access to unions for workers are key enabling rights to ensure a strong worker voice and protections across the various stages of the supply chain. It is essential to have accessible grievance mechanisms, including those available at sea, that are secure and responsive. These mechanisms should allow workers to raise issues as they arise, and companies must respond promptly, providing remedies and directly addressing the root causes of the problems.  The lawsuit, Akhmad v. Bumble Bee Foods LLC, No. 3:25-cv-00583, was filed in March 2025 in U.S. federal court in San Diego, California, and is currently before chief judge Cynthia Bashant. In addition to Greenpeace Inc., the plaintiffs in the suit are represented by the law firms of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC and Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes LLP. Photos and videos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library [1] Fake My Catch: The Unreliable Traceability in our Tuna Cans Choppy Waters: Forced Labour and Illegal Fishing in Taiwan’s Distant Water Fisheries Forced Labour at Sea: The Case of Indonesian Migrant Fishers Contacts: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, tbrooks@greenpeace.org   Vela Andapita, Global Communications Coordinator, Beyond Seafood campaign, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, +62 817 5759 449 (UTC+8), vela.andapita@greenpeace.org    Greenpeace USA Press Desk: mediausa@greenpeace.org Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org The post Landmark U.S. ruling allows Indonesians to proceed with lawsuit against Bumble Bee for forced labor on fishing boats appeared first on Greenpeace.

Cameras capture only a glimpse into the lives of these majestic cats. Still, even these glimpses provide crucial information about their population, reproductive habits, communication patterns and survival rates that would be nigh impossible to gather by other means. Our expert team has sorted through thousands of images to isolate photographs of snow leopards and other animals captured by camera traps across Mongolia’s Tost Mountains in 2024. We have monitored the snow leopard population of this protected area for 18 years, generating unprecedented insights into the lives of individual cats and the species as a whole.  Sharing these images is one of our favorite ways to connect with our supporters, so we hope you enjoy these candid snow leopard selfies! And while they are certainly adorable and epic, they also help to drive our conservation strategies. In a world inundated with selfies, these stand out, enhancing our understanding of this magnificent species and guiding our efforts to protect them. Initial Observations Snow leopards were photographed on 33 of 43 cameras set out in 2024, resulting in 86 encounters (an encounter may generate multiple photos but represents a single visit by a snow leopard within a 1-hour cut-off period). Our team identified individual snow leopards in 84 of the 86 encounters. Identifying cats based on their rosettes is very challenging, so a 98% success rate is great! Our cameras captured nine resident adult snow leopards from previous years, three new adult snow leopards establishing themselves and six cats of undetermined status (possibly transients or subadults who may establish in the coming years). The total number of adult cats captured on cameras in 2024 was at least 12 and possibly as many as 18. New Resident Adult Cats F19 was born in 2020 to Guiererro, seen on cameras every year since then, and has now established herself in Tost. She was collared in spring 2025 and our researchers could tell she had given birth before, either in 2023 or 2024. We did not see her with cubs in either year, so it’s possible she lost the litter before the camera survey. New Mum resides in the southeast of Tost and was first detected in 2024, with three cubs trailing behind her. She appears to have taken over Clown’s area. M25 was first photographed in 2023 as a suspected young transient. He has since established himself in a crater in the northeast of Tost. He appears to have taken over, or is attempting to take over, Kurzawa’s territory. He was collared in September 2025. F19 exploring F19 marking and smelling! M25 sniffing and walking by a vista M25 walks by a different camera New and Returning Cubs We encountered three snow leopard females with young cubs born in 2024. As mentioned above, New Mum had three cubs, Zaya had two cubs and an unknown female was accompanied by two cubs. The unknown female was off camera when her cubs were photographed, but they were seen on cameras far enough away from New Mum and Zaya that we’re certain they are a third litter. This means seven snow leopard cubs were born in 2024! zaya new mum short We also encountered one female with second-year cubs (born in 2023). We could not identify her as she was too close to the camera, but we suspect it is F10 or F12 based on the location and known females with cubs born in 2023. Four other females gave birth to cubs in 2023, but we didn’t encounter any of their cubs on cameras. We saw one of the moms, Nandu, but her cubs weren’t with her and we don’t know if she lost the litter or was simply traveling alone. Established Females In addition to F19, Zaya and New Mum, who we discussed above, we encountered six established females. Cats from previous years were seen in roughly the same areas as in past surveys. Antoine resides in western Tost and was born to Anu in 2015. Antoine has had two litters, in 2019 and 2022. F17 resides in Toson Bumba and was born in 2021 to F10. She was collared in April 2024. Nandu resides in the southwest of Tost and has been seen on our cameras since 2021. She gave birth to three cubs in 2023, her first litter known to us. Zaya lives in southeast Tost and has been seen on our cameras since 2018. She was seen with two new cubs in 2024, the third litter we know of, though it may be her fourth. F17 visited this watering hole multiple times F17 yowling at the wind Antoine letting her intrusive thoughts win... Antoine having a "Wizard of Oz" technicolor moment! Established Males In addition to M25, we encountered six established males. Cats from previous years were encountered in roughly the same areas as in past surveys, except for Kurzawa. Batbayar has taken over the territory once held by one of Dagina’s male offspring and has been seen on cameras since 2023, when he was detected in northern and western Tost.  Kurzawa appears to have been pushed out of his regular home range in the northeast part of Tost and was seen further west than usual. We’ve seen him on camera since 2015, and he is at least 12 (an old man for a snow leopard!). M23 (Eight) lives in southeastern Tost and has been with us since 2021, when he was encountered as an adult. M24 (Angarag) resides in central Tost and has been with us since the autumn of 2024, when he was both collared and encountered on camera. Nomadic resides in south-central Tost and has been seen on cameras since 2021. Kurzawa making scrapes Batbayar in overcast and snowy conditions M24 or Angarag - which means Mars - channeling the Red Giant! Nomadic was only caught at night M23 may be our new selfie king - he sure loved this photo shoot! Cats To Be Determined Ant is probably a young cat and of unknown sex. This snow leopard was photographed many times on multiple cameras in an area where we didn’t detect any adult females, so Ant may be establishing themself here. We should know next year if we see this cat again. Cats Off Camera When conducting camera-trap surveys, it’s important to remember that we’re capturing snapshots of a highly mobile wild population. While we identified twelve cats in 2023 that weren’t detected in 2024, this may reflect the dynamic nature of snow leopard ecology in Tost rather than definitive loss, where the reduction in the number of cats encountered in 2024 probably reflects both actual losses of cats and also a few more cats than usual evading our cameras.  One rarely captures all animals in any survey, and we therefore account for this by estimating capture probability—the proportion of animals missed relative to those seen. Some cats, like F12/Willian (who we know is alive and well through her GPS collar), were not detected by any camera this year. We also know that three cats died in 2024 (F18, M20, and M22), likely due to aggressive encounters with other cats, as previously reported. The seven other undetected cats are Clown, F10, F11, Presnel, Bugs, M18, and Rando. Until we complete our 2025 camera survey and cross-reference the data, we can’t draw firm conclusions about their status. Several factors could explain their absence: natural mortality, territory shifts, or technical challenges. For example, this year, ten cameras experienced premature battery failure during the survey period, which may have resulted in a few missed encounters. Fortunately, these cameras were randomly distributed rather than clustered, minimizing potential bias. Such challenges are common while conducting difficult fieldwork under harsh conditions. While twelve individual snow leopards detected in 2023 were not recorded in 2024, this non-detection likely reflects the dynamic nature of snow leopard ecology in Tost—a mix of natural loss and some cats evading our cameras—rather than a definitive population reduction. It’s also crucial to maintain perspective: our Tost study area covers 1,500 km² within the snow leopard’s 2 million km² range. The patterns we observe here offer valuable local insights but don’t necessarily reflect range-wide trends. This is why long-term, consistent monitoring remains essential for understanding these elusive cats. By tracking individual snow leopards year after year through camera traps and GPS collars, we’re decoding key behaviors – from hunting strategies and habitat use to breeding patterns and cub survival rates. This growing knowledge allows us to make informed conservation decisions to protect both snow leopards and their fragile mountain ecosystems. Sign up for our monthly E-News to keep up with all the cats and our conservation efforts to protect them. Photo credits: SLCF-Mongolia Acknowledgments: This Long-Term Ecological Study is in collaboration with Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation in Mongolia and Snow Leopard Trust with special thanks to the Ministry for Environment and Green Development, the Government of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for their support. SLT would also like to acknowledge: Acton Family Giving, Bioparc Zoo de Doue la Fontaine, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Dublin Zoo, Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, John Ball Zoo, Kolmarden Zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo, Knopf Family Foundation, National Geographic Society, Nordens Ark, Parco Zoo Punta Verde, Play for Nature, Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation, Tierpark Berlin, The Big Cat Sanctuary/Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Tulsa Zoo, Whitley Fund for Nature, Zoo Basel, Zoo Boise, Zoo Dresden, and Zoo New England. Thank you to all the many committed partners who have supported our research in Mongolia along with our Long-term Ecological Study since it began in 2008. We could not do this work without you. Special thanks to Enkhburen (Buren) Nyam, Choidogjamts “Choidog” Byambasuren, Temuulen “Temka” Ulziibadrakh, Purevjav “Pujii” Lkhagvajav, Dr. Gustaf Samelius and the Tost community rangers for all their work in implementing the camera trap research and painstakingly identifying these individual snow leopards! The post Snow Leopard Selfies: The 2024 Edition appeared first on Snow Leopard Trust.

Thanks to a new initiative by our partner organization, the Nature Conservation Foundation, a growing group of Indigenous women has transitioned from viewing snow leopards as threats to actively tracking them, identifying individuals by their rosette patterns and contributing to vital population estimates. Led by conservationist Deepshikha Sharma, this initiative recently launched its own website and is transforming attitudes and perceptions of snow leopards. Camera Trapping The program began with 11 women from Kibber village in Spiti Valley learning to monitor wildlife in their traditional pastures during winter using camera traps. Camera trapping is a non‑invasive method that captures images of animals as they move through the landscape, providing insights into species diversity, population size and behaviour without disturbing the wildlife. The women discuss how the cameras work The women took turns setting off the practice camera The women practice setting up a camera The all-woman team places camera traps at 10 locations covering 144 sq km of snow leopard landscape at the start of November each year, during the onset of winter, when animals may exhibit different behaviours or utilise different areas than in other seasons. Using snow‑leopard micro‑habitat clues—scat, scent marks, and scrape marks—the team identifies ten strategic spots, such as cliff faces and ridgelines, where cats are most likely to travel. The women trek back to each site, verify that cameras are still functioning, and swap out batteries or memory cards as needed. By March, as the snow begins to melt, the team collects the cameras and prepares for the next step of image processing. In just two years of operation, the project has already produced a valuable archive of winter wildlife activity—documenting snow leopards, ibex, blue sheep, and a host of smaller mammals using the landscape. These images are now feeding into long‑term studies that track population trends, habitat use, and seasonal shifts in behaviour. Women of Mane village learning the settings of camera traps. Image Tagging Camera trapping generates thousands of raw images, which require additional information to be added to make them useful for analysis. The women manually tag each image to identify which species appear in each image, along with other important observations. While cameras automatically record details like time and location, identifying the animal itself requires a trained human eye. This meticulous work transforms thousands of random photos into organized data that can be readily filtered, sorted and analyzed. It’s the foundation for understanding how animals use their habitat, estimating population sizes, tracking species interactions, and revealing patterns in wildlife activity across the winter landscape. After retrieving the winter camera traps, the team painstakingly processes thousands of photographs, assigning species tags to each file. Their efforts have revealed a rich tapestry of wildlife. Alongside the iconic snow leopard, the cameras have captured wolves, red foxes, stone martens, ibex, blue sheep, mountain weasels and birds such as chukars and Himalayan snowcocks. To date, the women have tagged close to 100,000 images from their own winter surveys in the Spiti Valley. Their contribution extends far beyond the local area. They have also tagged more than one million images collected across the Greater Himalayan and Trans‑Himalayan regions of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir as part of the larger rangewide PAWS (Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards) effort. This extensive, meticulously curated image library now serves as a valuable resource for researchers studying high‑altitude ecosystems and the species that depend on them. Snow leopard captured on one of the first cameras placed by the original team of women camera trappers. Rosette ID and Population Assessment To estimate the population of snow leopards in a region, the first step is to identify individual snow leopards from camera-trap image data. Individual snow leopards are identified by unique rosette patterns on their bodies, especially on the head, flanks, rump, and upper parts of the tail. To determine whether two images depict the same leopard, researchers compare at least three distinct markings; if the patterns match, the images are assigned to the same individual, whereas differing patterns indicate unique individuals. Time-lapse of a full day’s work! http://snowleopard.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/work-time-lapse.mp4 Although software tools exist for identifying individuals of other wildlife, snow leopards present a unique challenge. Their long, dense and often ruffled fur obscures fine details, making automated pattern‑recognition algorithms unreliable. Consequently, the identification process is largely manual, relying on the keen eyes and meticulous attention of trained observers. Any mistake at this stage introduces significant bias into subsequent population estimates, underscoring the importance of precision, patience, skill and attention to detail. The women have examined thousands of snow leopard images from a high‑density area, comparing every image to identify distinct individuals and build profiles for each snow leopard. As more profiles are built across the landscape, they will serve as the foundation for accurate population assessments of snow leopards, with the team continually refining their methods to maximise precision. Dog Population Monitoring In human-dominated landscapes around the world, dogs are the most abundant terrestrial carnivores. While many are beloved companions, free‑ranging dogs can threaten livestock, disturb native wildlife and create new challenges for local livelihoods. In the last few years, the free-ranging dog population in the Spiti Valley has been rising—an increase closely tied to the region’s booming tourism industry. Understanding these dynamics is essential for protecting both people and the fragile ecosystem. In Spiti Valley, monitoring the dog population is a critical community effort. While residents across the region help track dog numbers, the villages of Kibber and Chicham have taken this responsibility a step further: local women conduct the annual dog population surveys. They track trends over time and evaluate the effectiveness of community-run sterilization camps, which are coordinated in partnership with local authorities. This work provides essential data to mitigate threats posed by livestock and protect native wildlife. The impact of this work extends far beyond data collection. Knowledge is power. By engaging women as monitors, researchers, and decision-makers, the women involved now have data, information, and agency. They can advocate for snow leopards and wildlife protection in their own villages. They’re sharing what they learn with neighbors, creating connections between the whole community and the natural world. This sense of ownership—of both the problems and the solutions—is what makes conservation truly sustainable. Deepshikha is excited to share that 30 more women from the villages of Chicham, Mane, and Demul have recently received training and joined this initiative. What started as a winter snow leopard monitoring program has the potential to become something much larger. Deepshikha’s goal is to expand this model beyond Spiti Valley, creating a network of women-led conservation across the entire trans-Himalayan region. Sign up for our monthly E-News to receive all the latest snow leopard conservation updates. Photo credits: Wildlife Wing of Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and Nature Conservation Foundation, NCF-India Acknowledgements: Women in Conservation is an initiative of the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF). This initiative would not have been possible without the support of the indigenous communities of the trans-Himalayan landscape and our supporters: Conservation Nation, Disney Conservation Fund and Snow Leopard Trust. The post The Ghost Trackers: How Indigenous Women are Leading Snow Leopard Conservation in the Himalayas appeared first on Snow Leopard Trust.

The National Forum on Snow Leopard Conservation took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on September 5. This critical summit was convened by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, WCS Mongolia, and our partner, the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation. The forum brought together over 130 stakeholders, including experts from eleven range countries. The event highlighted both the progress made since the last national gathering in 2008 and the need for better coordination moving forward. “In the last 4-5 years, there has been a high incidence of snow leopard encounters, livestock conflicts and unregulated tourism in snow leopard landscapes,” explains Purevjav (Pujii) Lkhagvajav, Executive Director of SLCF Mongolia. “This forum was organized because there was an urgent need for organizations working on snow leopard conservation and the Ministry to get together in one room and discuss policy issues.” Mongolia plays a crucial role in the conservation of this majestic species, which has the second-highest snow leopard population after China. However, the dangers facing Mongolia’s snow leopards today are dramatically different from those of two decades ago. Linear infrastructure has emerged as a significant new threat, especially as Mongolia proposes an ambitious new project. A railroad network linking the west and east, extending the existing north-south line, is likely to impact a significant portion of the country’s snow leopard habitat. This is cause for alarm, as the 2021 population assessment showed that the cats have high connectivity across the country. Critically, this connectivity could be threatened if new infrastructure projects fail to maintain habitat corridors, a risk magnified by the cats’ low genetic diversity. In addition to physical threats like infrastructure, the forum tackled a less obvious but equally important challenge: how to coordinate the wealth of snow leopard data now being collected across Mongolia. Twenty years ago, there was little data on snow leopards. Scientists struggled to understand their basic ecology. Over the last two decades, we have gathered extensive knowledge of snow leopard behavior and ecology, encompassing habitat use and home-range size to diet and denning behavior. This progress has translated into critical conservation action, notably the successful protection of nearly 900,000 hectares of snow leopard habitat in the Mongolian South Gobi. But success brought a new challenge to snow leopard conservationists: multiple organizations now conduct research and monitoring across the country, with no central coordination. This forum was an opportunity to establish that coordination and articulate a shared vision for the future of the species. Collaborative efforts will be needed to address population assessments, unregulated tourism and other concerns that require input from many stakeholders across the country. To address these issues, the Snow Leopard National Forum held three breakout group discussions on National Coordination of Monitoring and Research, Community-Based Conservation and Unregulated Tourism, and Linear Infrastructure Impact and Wildlife Corridor. They discussed concrete plans to strengthen existing national monitoring systems and identify crucial corridors for protection. The forum concluded with the official launch of a national snow leopard conservation network, establishing a unified path forward. This new central network will coordinate all conservation activities and research, ensuring that future actions and policy decisions are driven by the best available scientific data. Sign up for our monthly E-News to receive all the latest snow leopard conservation updates. Photo credits: Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation – Mongolia The post Mongolia Unifies to Combat New Threats to Snow Leopards appeared first on Snow Leopard Trust.

Brazil Announces Expanded Commitment to Community-Led Conservation in the Amazon

Student Swimmers Power Through 66km Challenge to Protect the Rainforest

Trump Administration’s Proposed Regulations Would Gut the Endangered Species Act—Again aalberg Thu, 11/20/2025 - 16:17 photo by BlueBarronPhoto November 20, 2025 Washington, DC—Yesterday, the Trump administration unveiled proposed sweeping changes to Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations that would undermine the law’s original intent and leave threatened and endangered wildlife at a heightened risk of extinction. The language is very similar to a set of rules that were finalized during the first Trump administration—and then partially rolled back during the Biden administration.If finalized, the regulatory changes could introduce biased economic data into the process of deciding whether to list a species as threatened or endangered, eliminate key protections for threatened species, reduce vital input from federal wildlife agencies, and shrink the amount of protected habitat set aside to support species’ recovery. These destructive anti-wildlife proposals would eliminate many essential conservation tools that have long aided in the recovery of species hovering perilously close to extinction.“The Trump administration is dragging out the same tired playbook it used half a decade ago, demonstrating that it is still willing to place industry profits over the preservation and protection of our nation’s treasured wildlife, the environment, and our planet more broadly,” said Susan Millward, executive director and CEO of the Animal Welfare Institute. “We stand ready to fight back against these rules, just as we did during the first Trump term. Americans from coast to coast agree: Safeguarding threatened and endangered species and the habitats they rely on is non-negotiable.”This action follows a slew of attacks on the ESA by both the Trump administration and Congress, including a proposed rule from earlier this year that would remove habitat destruction from how “harm” to species is defined under the ESA. This change would make protecting and recovering imperiled wildlife far more difficult, furthering the administration’s apparent goal of neutralizing the world’s most effective conservation law. Since it was enacted, 99 percent of ESA-protected species have been spared from extinction. Furthermore, according to a 2025 poll, the ESA enjoys the support of more than four out of five Americans across political and geographic boundaries.Today, most imperiled species occupy small fractions of their historical range. The need for species protections has not decreased over the decades since the ESA was enacted. Rather, increased threats from development and a changing climate necessitate strong and full implementation and enforcement of the ESA—now more than ever. Media Contact Information Kim Meneo, Animal Welfare Institutekim@awionline.org, (202) 446-2116 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

AWI Recognizes Eight Wildlife Defenders with Prestigious Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award aalberg Tue, 11/25/2025 - 10:04 photo by AWI December 2, 2025 Samarkand, Uzbekistan—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), in coordination with the Species Survival Network (SSN), today recognized eight recipients across three continents with the Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award for going beyond the call of duty in their commitment and dedication to combating wildlife crime. The awards were conferred at the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.  The Bavin Award is named for Mr. Clark R. Bavin, the late chief of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, who pioneered the use of complex sting operations to catch wildlife criminals. Since 1994, AWI and SSN have bestowed this award upon more than 150 individuals, organizations, and agencies that have engaged in exemplary efforts to enforce wildlife laws to combat wildlife crime.The 2025 award winners come from seven different countries, illustrating a global commitment and responsibility to protect wildlife threatened by illegal trade. Their work utilizes time-honored techniques such as seizures, raids, and large-scale investigations, as well as new approaches such as computerized tomography scanning, to protect various trafficked and poached species—from pangolins to pumas.“Wildlife criminals are continually developing more sophisticated strategies to use and abuse animals around the globe,” said DJ Schubert, senior scientist of wildlife biology for AWI. “From intercepting poachers to identifying smugglers and forged documents, the innovative tactics utilized by this year’s Bavin Award recipients demonstrate an increasingly diversified approach to combatting wildlife crime.”The winners of the 2025 Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award are:Anti-Smuggling Bureau of China Customs for continuing to strengthen its capacity to fight wildlife crime, including through implementation of advanced scanning technology at key customs checkpoints, which has contributed to a substantial reduction in wildlife trafficking in China.Director-General Athapol Charoenshunsa, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Thailand, for visionary leadership, innovative enforcement strategies, success in dismantling environmental crime networks and suppressing illegal logging, dedication to resolving human-wildlife conflicts, and trailblazing work in endangered species repatriation.Craig Fellowes, MBE, wildlife crime and training officer, Badger Trust and National Wildlife Crime Unit, United Kingdom, for a long and distinguished career that has included developing and conducting CITES enforcement training courses presented to thousands of UK and international officers and coordinating the seizure of significant quantities of trafficked wildlife products.  Lieutenant Colonel Dilafruz Karimova, environmental and tourism security specialist, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tajikistan, for leading operations to thwart illegal logging and mining and poaching of endangered species and for deploying advanced intelligence gathering, trainings, task forces, and community outreach to disrupt transnational wildlife crime networks, while breaking barriers for women in her field.  Institute of Zoology Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, for combating wildlife crime and addressing trade-induced threats to endangered species in Uzbekistan, including by establishing the country’s first CITES specimen collection and training center and creating a sniffer dog training program to detect trafficked wildlife products.Major General Watcharin Phoosit, commander of the Royal Thai Police's Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, for his central role in dismantling numerous transnational wildlife trafficking networks and collaborating with national and international partners to train officers and carry out significant seizures and sustained investigations targeting major wildlife crime syndicates.Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA), Spain, for its multifaceted approach to dismantling wildlife criminal networks using rigorous law enforcement, international collaboration, trainings, and community engagement, which has led to the rescue of thousands of illegally sourced live animals and the downfall of major smuggling operations.Dr. Emiliano Villegas, operational coordinator, Environmental Control Brigade, Argentina, for exceptional efforts investigating the largest wildlife crime case in Argentina’s history, which led to multiple indictments, the seizure of thousands of hunting trophies, and the rescue of animals destined for illegal hunts on private reserves.“The individuals, organizations, and agencies recognized today are truly on the frontlines of the battle to end illegal wildlife trade,” said Susan Millward, AWI executive director and chief executive officer. “As wildlife continue to face threats from greedy criminals and syndicates, the work of these wildlife heroes—as well as those they inspire—is critical for imperiled species and for all global citizens.”More information about the Bavin awards can be found here. Media Contact Information Kim Meneo, Animal Welfare Institutekim@awionline.org, (202) 446-2116 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

Amidst declining capacity, corporations ditch voluntary sustainability commitments, invest billions in plastic disinformation campaign A new report from Greenpeace USA reveals plastic recycling has largely failed after decades of being touted by corporations as a solution to the pollution crisis. WASHINGTON D.C. (Dec. 3, 2025) — A new report from Greenpeace USA reveals plastic recycling has largely failed after decades of being touted by corporations as a solution to the pollution crisis. The report uncovered that only a fifth of the 8.8 million tons of the most commonly produced types of plastics — found in items like bottles, jugs, food containers, and caps — are actually recyclable. Moreover, plastic recycling rates in the United States have been cut in half since 2014, from 9.5% to roughly 5–6% today. The report concludes that plastic recycling is no more of a viable solution now than it was in the 1950s. Our team of researchers also uncovered the effort by the plastic industry, retailers, prominent plastic-reliant brands, and related trade associations — the so-called “Merchants of Myth” — to mislead the public, protect their profits, and delay regulatory action. Major brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Nestlé have been quietly retracting sustainability commitments while continuing to rely on single-use plastic packaging. On top of this, the U.S. plastic industry is undermining meaningful plastic regulation by making false claims about the recyclability of their products to avoid bans and reduce public backlash. As global plastic production continues to climb and is projected to triple by 2050, our report investigates the ineffectiveness of voluntary measures without regulatory support.  John Hocevar, Greenpeace USA oceans campaigner director, said: “Recycling is a toxic lie pushed by the plastics industry that is now being propped up by a pro-plastic narrative emanating from the White House. These corporations and their partners continue to sell the public a comforting lie to hide the hard truth: that we simply have to stop producing so much plastic. Instead of investing in real solutions, they’ve poured billions into public relations campaigns that keep us hooked on single-use plastic while our communities, oceans, and bodies pay the price.” Despite growing public awareness of the environmental and health concerns posed by plastics and microplastics, Merchants of Myth reveals many corporations have ramped up their disinformation campaigns and aggressive lobbying – and are being backed up by a compromised government.  While the Make Americans Healthy Again (MAHA) platform pledged to address chronic illnesses linked to toxic chemicals, its recent health report largely sidestepped plastics — one of the most pervasive sources of chemical exposure. Despite growing scientific consensus on the health risks and economic costs of plastic pollution, the report offered only vague commitments to develop a framework to study chemical exposures, including microplastics, allocate limited funding for safer farming, and launch a public pesticides awareness campaign.   Jo Banner, executive director of The Descendants Project, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Black history and fighting environmental racism in the frontline communities of Louisiana’s River Parishes, said: “It’s the same story everywhere: poor, Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities turned into sacrifice zones so oil companies and big brands can keep making money. They call it development — but it’s exploitation, plain and simple. There’s nothing acceptable about poisoning our air, water, and food to sell more throwaway plastic. Our communities are not sacrifice zones, and we are not disposable people.” Among the report’s other key findings on the ineffectiveness of plastic recycling: Recycling access gaps: Up to 43% percent of U.S. households lack access to basic recycling services. Participation in recycling is also decreasing. Infrastructure limits: Of the 380 municipal recycling facilities nationwide, only 46 are capable of processing common consumer plastics. Technological limits: Only 1 of 6 “advanced recycling” plants can handle mixed post-consumer waste — and even at full capacity, these facilities cannot meet the 60% recycling rate required by law. Cost to taxpayers: The public has to pay to collect and sort plastics, while most of it ends up in the landfill with the rest of the trash. Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, tbrooks@greenpeace.org   Greenpeace USA Press Desk: mediausa@greenpeace.org Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa. The post Merchants of Myth: new report exposes plastic recycling as costly failure appeared first on Greenpeace.