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...

Carbon credit sale will protect Madagascar's most wildlife-rich forest, support local communities, and fight climate change WCS and Government of Madagascar created the Makira REDD+ Project to prevent the release of 32.5 million metric tons of carbon NEW YORK (February 12, 2014) –The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today that the Government of Madagascar has approved carbon sales with Microsoft and its carbon offset partner, The CarbonNeutral Company, and Zoo Zurich. The carbon credit ...

The authors of a landmark 2013 study, coordinated by WCS, show that forest elephant poaching continues apace, with 65 percent of the animals lost between 2002 and 2013. The information was released at the United for Wildlife International Wildlife Trafficking Symposium at the Zoological Society of London.