Leonardo DiCaprio has been a vocal part of the movement to ban the shark fin trade. He penned a letter to the California Senate in support of the bill that would ban shark fins in the state; the bill was passed into law in October.
Now, the actor has called for support of New York’s pending shark fin bill. He tweeted, “We did it in Cali. C’mon ?#NewYork! RT @Oceana. Time is running out for bill banning trade of ?#shark? fins. Act now:http://ow.ly/biCvC .” The law would ban the possession, sale and trade of shark fins in New York.
According to Oceana, the practice of shark finning is not only cruel, but it is driving some species of sharks to the brink of extinction. Sharks, as top predators of the sea, are vital to the health and balance of the oceans. “Tens of millions of sharks are caught each year for their fins, and in some places these sharks are finned alive, a brutal practice in which a shark’s fins are hacked off at sea, and the animal is thrown overboard to die,” the organization writes.
Oceana adds that New York is “the largest importer and exporter of shark fins on the East Coast.” New York would also be the first state on the East Coast to ban the shark fin trade. Currently, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington are the only U.S. states with bans in place. Oceana provides a letter to New York legislators that you can sign in support of the state shark fin ban.
Photo Credit: cinemafestival / 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 →
