Our Director of Conservation, Ali Hood, has been awarded the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)’s Marine Conservation Award for her outstanding dedication to protecting sharks.

The ceremony, held at the House of Lords, saw IFAW present the 2021 Animal Action Awards to an inspiring group of true animal heroes. The awards recognise their steadfast commitment and dedication to animals during difficult times. Their 'never giving up' attitude and passion for animals is why IFAW are so proud to honour them this year. IFAW’s 2021 Animal Action Awards honours those who have made incredible achievements in the animal welfare and conservation community.

Ali has headed the conservation team at the Shark Trust for nearly 20 years and tirelessly works to secure management and protection for vulnerable shark and ray species, and to hold governments and industry to account for their commitments. 

Ali comments, “As a conservation advocate, I’m fortunate to work with a highly dedicated team of people, both within the Shark Trust, and our trusted partners worldwide. Overfishing is the greatest threat to sharks, and securing essential shark conservation objectives is not a straightforward task, given the commercial interest in many species. But we’ve found persistence pays, and we’re committed to seeing science-based management adopted.” 

“It was amazing to receive such an award, and I’m grateful to IFAW for their recognition of shark conservation concerns.”

 James Sawyer, IFAW UK Regional Director said “Our winners this year can teach us many valuable lessons. They teach us that we need to reflect a diverse community of animal protectors to be successful. They teach us that being there for animals remains important but that animals can be there for us too. Critically this reminds us how interdependent we are with the animals of the world and how together we need to continue to work to improve things for all of us.”

Banner Image: © IFAW - James Sawyer (IFAW UK Director); Ali Hood (Shark Trust Director of Conservation), Mark Beaudouin (Chair of the IFAW board of Trustees)