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From time to time I get asked what WWF stands for. It is
always a difficult question to answer because I am never sure if my
interlocutor is referring to the organization’s principles or to its
initials.
The world’s most successful environmental campaigning group in terms of
its published income, WWF is, of course, known both as the World Wildlife Fund
and World Wide Fund for Nature depending on which country you happen to be in
at the time. This indecision on a name – surely a fairly basic consideration
– is mirrored by its positions on whaling.
After the IWC meeting in London last July, Gordon Shepherd, director of international policy at the group’s Switzerland headquarters, gave an interview to the BBC. Shepherd admitted both that the IWC’s anti-whaling policy was failing and that the IWC was itself "dysfunctional". Characterizing the proposed RMS as "a highly precautionary management system", Shepherd suggested that "a slightly more sophisticated answer" was needed to replace the current moratorium on whaling. In short, WWF was inching toward reality and recognizing that some commercial whaling would have to be permitted by the IWC in order to provide a framework for protecting whale species. Or was it? WWF in the U.S. quickly responded by saying they opposed all whaling, seemingly reversing the position of their HQ.
Then, in March 2002, WWF performed another about face, announcing in Japan that it supported commercial whaling so long as hunting was carried out on a scientific basis under the proposed RMS and only covered abundant species. But just when we finally thought we knew what WWF’s policy was, another statement was issued just one week later. "In response to press reports", WWF had changed its mind again and was now once more opposed to all commercial whaling.
Thus, within the space of nine months, WWF officially changed its mind on whaling no less than four times. Which begs a series of questions:
And, now that WWF has secured its commercial brand by winning the exclusive right to use these initials, despite the wishes of US wrestlers, could they please settle on a single name? World Wide Fundraising would appear to be the most honest given their lucrative multimillion dollar deals with consumer brand companies and international banks like HSBC. Or perhaps, Weasel Word Folly, since whatever they say these days has to be taken with a pinch of salt .
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