The list of celebs voicing their support for a ban of the shark fin trade continues to grow. January Jones, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ted Danson, Yao Ming and Richard Branson have all spoken out, among others.
Now, Ke$ha has tweeted asking her followers to help get Maryland’s shark fin ban passed. The singer wrote “Maryland Senate votes to ban the sale of shark fins! ANIMALS – Keep up the pressure to stop this cruel practice!!!” Shark finning is widely condemned by both conservationists and animal rights advocates for its cruelty and its unsustainable depletion of shark populations.
Ke$ha included a link to the Humane Society’s press release on the Maryland bill, which has now passed the Senate and gone onto the House of Delegates. The law would be the first of its kind on the East Coast of the United States – only Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and California currently have bans. New York is also considering a ban that would be a big step in the movement to end the shark fin trade, as New York is the largest importer of shark fins on the East Coast.
Senator Brian Frosh, who introduced the bill, adds “Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, causing many species to be threatened with extinction. Sharks are a critical predator species in the ocean and maintain the health of the ecosystem. ”
“With this vote, Maryland is one step closer to being the first East Coast state to join the international movement to protect sharks by shutting down the market for shark fins,” said Tami Santelli, The HSUS’ Maryland senior state director. “The unsustainable demand for shark fins has had a devastating impact on shark populations worldwide, and this bill makes clear that Maryland will no longer contribute to the cruelty. We encourage the House of Delegates to act quickly to pass this bill,” said the Humane Society’s Maryland senior state director, Tami Santelli.
The organization also points out that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year, and their fins supply the global trade of shark fins. Overfishing has caused some shark population to decline by up to 90% in just recent decades.
Photo Credit: Martin Lehmann / http://www.shutterstock.com
About Jennifer Mishler
Jennifer is an animal advocate and activist. She is a volunteer coordinator with The Girls Gone Green, a nonprofit organization advocating for animals rights, veganism, and environmentalism. She is also an Onshore Volunteer with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and a volunteer with CJ Acres Animal Rescue Farm, a nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates farm animals. Along with writing for Ecorazzi, she writes about veganism and animal rights on her blog, A Dog's Eye View. She lives in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and their three animal friends. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jennygoneveganView all posts by Jennifer Mishler →
