U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Wildlife Trafficking Administration’s National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking Spurs Debate in Congress Washington, DC – February 26, 2014 –The following statement was released today by WCS Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Director of the 96 Elephants Campaign John Calvelli: “The Wildlife Conservation Society would like to applaud U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ed Royce for his leadership in calling today...

WCS Statement on Introduction of Ivory Bill into New York State Legislature:New York Takes the Lead in State Efforts to End Ivory Trade State and Federal Collaboration is Key to Closing Loopholes, Ending Ivory Trade New York, Feb. 20, 2014 – The following statement was released today by John Calvelli, Wildlife Conservation Society Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Director of the 96 Elephants Campaign:“The Wildlife Conservation Society welcomes the introduction of a bill into the N...

Ray populations in Indonesia face serious threats from overfishing, but recently the government has taken action to ensure their future.

WCS commends Indonesian Government for adopting new law prohibiting fishing and trade of manta rays NEW YORK (February 19, 2014)—The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds the Government of Indonesia for its recent decision to protect the world’s largest ray species, the giant and reef manta rays, from fishing and trade throughout the country. On 28 January 2014, Indonesia’s Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister declared both the giant manta ray and reef manta ray as protected species under I...

Study authors mull solutions for addressing less support for protected areas and species restrictionsTo access the study click here >> NEW YORK (February 19, 2014)—Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and other groups have found that the fishing villages of Madagascar—a country with little history of natural resource regulation—are generally supportive of fishing regulations, an encouraging finding that bodes well for susta...

Local Land-Use Ordinances Lack Key Components FORT COLLINS (February 19, 2014) – A new study from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Colorado State University (CSU) looks at conservation development (CD) regulations in the western United States and evaluates the degree to which CD is permitted and encouraged by county planning agencies. The study finds that despite strong economic incentives and widespread implementation, several issues currently limit CD’s effectiveness for conserving ...

Effort led by WCS and Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation Mass hatching event for the Giant South American river turtle produces more than 200,000 hatchlings NEW YORK (February 10, 2014)—Turtle biologists seeking to learn more about threatened and endangered turtles in Brazil’s Abufari Biological Reserve recently hit the mother lode—a mass hatching event producing an estimated 210,000 baby turtles, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Chico Mendes Institute fo...

As the second-largest market for ivory in the world, the United States recently announced that it will ban the trade within its borders through a series of new rules. The editorial board of the New York Times explores the implications.

The following statement was released today by Dr. John G. Robinson, WCS Chief Conservationist and Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science.

A Global Crackdown on Wildlife CrimeLondon Declaration Sends Strong Message: Wildlife Trafficking is a Serious Crime on a Global ScaleLondon, Feb. 13, 2014 – The following statement was released today by Dr. John G. Robinson, WCS Chief Conservationist and Executive Vice President of Conservation and Science:“We greatly welcome the London Declaration on Illegal Wildlife Trade, which today sends a strong message across the globe: Wildlife trafficking is a serious crime, on a global scale, and must...