September 12, 2011
Shark Fin Ban Making Waves In The New York Times
Fans of sharks have undoubtedly noticed that protections for the oceans’ great predators have really ramped up in the last couple of years – and now the New York Times has taken notice, too.
Reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal quoted Oceana’s very own Elizabeth Wilson in yesterday’s article about the proliferation of shark finning and trade bans. In the last year, the West Coast has neared a total ban on finning and trade, and the U.S. and Chile have passed national bans on finning. Oceana has been an integral part of advocating for shark protections, as tens of millions of sharks, including some rare and endangered species, are killed each year for their fins.
As Elizabeth said in the Times: “We’re really enthusiastic to see good things finally starting to happen for sharks.”
And we’re thrilled by all the Oceana Wavemakers who joined us in the fight to save sharks. There’s still time to help: If you’re a California resident, you can call Gov. Jerry Brown to encourage him to sign the shark fin ban, AB 376, that was passed by the state Senate last week into law at 916-445-2841. Call by Oct. 9, which is the deadline for it to be passed. The sharks thank you!