Looks like Leonardo DiCaprio may have another reason to applaud today as the bill to ban the shark fin trade in New York State has passed through the state’s Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. While shark finning itself is already illegal in the states, legislation such as that which bill S.6431 could become have the potential to discourage finning in other countries, helping us become accountable on a global scale.
DiCaprio isn’t alone in his happiness or his crusade; vegetarian pop star Ke$ha recently released an advocacy video as part of her ambassadorship with Humane Society International. In it, the singer emphasizes that ten million sharks are killed yearly for their fins alone.
Ke$ha’s visuals could be exactly what the campaign needs: we may be used to imagining sharks solely as fins floating above the water, but DiCaprio and Ke$ha encourage us to remember that the fin is not a thing unto itself but rather part of a whole, living creature – and a whole, living eco system. Who better but celebrities, whole people often confused with the tip of their images, to speak for the sharks?
Check out Ke$ha’s video below.
cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com
About Jaime Warburton
Jaime Warburton is a poet and professor living in Ithaca, NY, where she takes full advantage of the farmer’s market, Sweetland Farm CSA, and Farm Sanctuary’s Watkins Glen location. When not drowning in words or making vegan ice cream, Jaime teaches pre-ballet, sings with Bella Voce, and dreams of living with goats and chickens. She also offers her consultation services on making a smooth and successful transition to veg eating. Keep up with her and her poetry at jaimewarburton.weebly.com or on Twitter @JaimeSWarburton.View all posts by Jaime Warburton →
