In February 2025, world animal welfare organisation Humane Society Worldwide rebranded as Humane World for Animals, uniting its worldwide community below one identify and strengthening its dedication to tackling the foundation causes of animal cruelty and struggling.
“Our new identify displays that animals are on the coronary heart of all our campaigning efforts. We’re united in our efforts to finish cruelty and enhance the safety of wildlife,” stated Erica Martin, Government Director of Humane World for Animals Australia.
Three key points on the forefront of the organisation’s Australian agenda are pure disasters, shark nets, and the authorized killing of native wildlife.
Animals—each wild and home—are more and more weak to human actions and insurance policies that put them in danger. From the devastating results of pure disasters to outdated shark internet applications and government-issued licences for the mass killing of native wildlife, Humane World for Animals is looking for systemic adjustments that prioritise humane options.
Current floods in Queensland and bushfires in Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia spotlight how pure disasters devastate not simply human lives but additionally native wildlife, cattle, and pets.
“Animals can undergo loss of life, damage, habitat loss, air pollution, and predation due to disasters,” stated Martin. “Humane World for Animals Australia—who has the aptitude and experience to rescue affected animals from catastrophe zones and supply help to these affected—might want to deploy extra usually because the frequency and severity of pure disasters will increase with world warming.”
First launched in Sydney in 1937, shark nets proceed to be deployed throughout Newcastle, Sydney, and Wollongong seashores—regardless of proof displaying they don’t make swimmers safer.
“The nets are 150m lengthy, six metres excessive, and aren’t even near being the bodily obstacles many individuals assume they’re,” stated Lauren Sandeman, a marine biologist with Humane World for Animals Australia.
“As a substitute, they’re designed to cull sharks that swim into them—both on their method into the seashore or out to sea. Virtually half the sharks caught are on the seashore aspect of the online.”
Within the 2023/24 season, solely 15 goal sharks (nice white, tiger, and bull sharks) have been caught within the 51 nets deployed in NSW. Nonetheless, 240 non-target marine animals—together with rays, turtles, dolphins, penguins, and innocent sharks—have been entangled and killed. Even whales are ceaselessly caught.
Regardless of 35 shark chunk incidents occurring at netted seashores, NSW continues to make use of this outdated system.
The NSW Authorities has invested hundreds of thousands into simpler shark mitigation applied sciences—together with drone surveillance, listening stations, and SMART drumlines, all of which detect shark exercise with out killing marine life.
“We wouldn’t enable practically 100-year-old security requirements in our vehicles, at work, or in our houses. It’s ludicrous to permit our seashore security to be the exception,” Sandeman stated. “It’s time to let trendy measures do the job.”
Regardless of Australia main the world in mammal extinctions, authorities licences nonetheless allow the killing of tons of of 1000’s of native animals every year.
The organisation’s Licence to Kill report, primarily based on a two-year investigation, revealed that in 2023 alone, greater than 1.2 million native animals have been allowed to be killed below authorities licences.
Between 2021 and 2023, greater than 4.5 million native animals have been legally killed, together with wombats, possums, kangaroos, wallabies, lorikeets, geese, cockatoos, corellas, and even black swans.
“Sadly, we’ve usually discovered that the answer is solely to kill native wildlife,” stated Meg Lamb, Animal Safety Campaigner for Humane World for Animals Australia and co-author of the report.
“However we’re all a part of the identical ecosystem, and what’s good for wildlife is nice for us too. If we may have a look at it much less as a struggle and extra as studying to reside collectively, then we’d discover methods to coexist that don’t pit us towards nature.”
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1.2 million native animals have been legally killed in 2023 alone.
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Over 4.5 million native animals have been killed between 2021 and 2023.
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Within the 2023/24 shark internet season, solely 15 goal sharks have been caught, whereas 240 non-target marine animals perished.
Humane World for Animals is actively working to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife affected by disasters, advocate for the removing of ineffective shark nets, and promote non-lethal strategies of wildlife administration.
The transition from Humane Society Worldwide to Humane World for Animals underscores its dedication to tackling the foundation causes of animal struggling somewhat than simply responding to crises.
The shift to Humane World for Animals aligns with world efforts to finish animal cruelty and enhance wildlife safety legal guidelines. International locations worldwide are reassessing outdated insurance policies, with rising investments in humane and science-based options to steadiness conservation, public security, and human-wildlife coexistence.
Humane World for Animals Australia will proceed its catastrophe response efforts, push for an finish to shark internet applications, and advocate for coverage adjustments to cease the mass killing of native animals.
To study extra and assist their work, go to www.humaneworld.org.au.
