BRUSSELS, June 14, 2019 – Today, Catherine Bearder, MEP for South East England, has been appointed as Trustee to the London-based charitable organisation - the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

The Oxford-based Liberal Democrat MEP, known for being a passionate advocate for environmental protection, will be joining other Trustees, including Graeme Cottam and Brian Hutchinson, in her new role.

In Bearder’s role in the European Parliament, she has focused on tackling illegal wildlife trade and authored the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking. As an active member of the EU/ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Bearder works with elected members and ministers from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, where she has championed environmental protection measures amongst other issues.  

“We are pleased to have Catherine Bearder appointed as Trustee. She is a dynamic individual who’s committed to conservation and animal welfare,” says Azzedine Downes, IFAW’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re confident that with her fresh thinking, IFAW will continue to make unexpected connections and find lasting solutions for animals, people and the planet.”

Bearder adds, “Environmental protection has always been my passion and I have put this at the heart of my political work and also throughout my career in various forms. The work that IFAW does across the world is immensely important and I am proud, and honoured, to be appointed as Trustee.”

Founded in 1969, IFAW was committed to one problem threatening one species in one part of the world. With the European ban on whitecoat harp seal products in 1983, we saved more than 1 million seal pups. Since then, we’ve taken on more problems threatening more species, including our own, in more than 40 countries. Today, we are rescuing more animals and conserving more habitats, on land and at sea, than at any other point in our history. We’re using innovative tactics to take on poachers in Kenya and India. We’re partnering with technology companies to reduce wildlife crime online. We’re working with scientists to develop new methods to rescue whales who get entangled in fishing gear. Yet, even as IFAW has evolved, we have remained focused on what we’ve always done best: helping animals and people thrive together.

See more at https://www.ifaw.org/united-states/about-ifaw/board.

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org

Press Contact:

Benjamin Wiacek

Communications Manager

m: +32 (0)472 17 15 81

e: bwiacek@ifaw.org