EIA was born out of its founders’ desire to protect endangered species. Over the past 24 years, our species investigations and campaigns have borne fruit in many landmark achievements, including the measures highlighted on this page.

Please follow the links for more information on our whale and dolphin campaign, our elephant campaign and our forests campaign to protect orangutan habitat. 

2008 A landmark ban on the import and commerce of illegally logged wood and derivative products into the United States. This seminal conservation measure, instigated by EIA and supported by a broad coalition of environmental and industry groups, has global implications. Much U.S. timber supply comes from the wildlife-rich tropical forests of Asia and Latin America.
[ read more ]
 

2008 The United States indicts an international smuggler of ramin wood – a species found in orangutan peat swamp habitat – sending a message to illegal timber traders around the world. For years EIA followed ramin trade flows from Indonesia and found much of the illegal wood arriving in the U.S. in the form of baby cribs, as in this case.
[ read press release ]

2006-7 Permanent end to whale meat trade announced by Japan’s three largest commercial manufacturers, taking at least 30 million cans a year off the market. This is in addition to the over 2,500 stores in Japan that have stopped selling whale meat products since 2001.






2007 International community postpones decision to re-open limited ivory trade, following EIA exposé of an upsurge in African elephant poaching and ivory smuggling into China.
[ read report ]





2002-4 EIA instigated a major international crackdown on black market trade in endangered ramin, a wood species found in Asian orangutan habitat. In 2004 ramin was unanimously listed on Appendix II of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, further restricting trade in the species. 




2003 Closure of 53 illegal mines that were destroying prime tiger habitat in India.
[ read report ]







2003 Indonesia’s president launches crackdown on illegal logging in Tanjung Puting National Park, a critical orangutan refuge, after EIA campaign produces exposé and letter of concern from U.S. Senators.
[ read report ]





1993 China bans domestic rhino horn trade following EIA campaign.








1992 U.S. Wild Bird Conservation Act passes limiting imports of exotic birds into the United States, instigated by EIA.







1989 International ban achieved on elephant ivory trade, with EIA a prime mover.  Read the book by EIA’s founders about this landmark achievement:
Read the book by EIA’s founders about this landmark achievement.

2003 BBC TV Lifetime Achievement Award; awarded to EIA’s president, Allan Thornton, for his work to protect whales.

1990 Albert Schweitzer Award; presented to two EIA co-founders by the late U.S. Senator John Heinz for their work in documenting and exposing the international poached ivory trade.