DeeperBlue.com spoke to Catherine Uden, the campaign organizer for Oceana in South Florida at DEMA Show 2019 in Orlando, Florida this week about the current campaigns the organization is engaging in here in the USA and globally.
Catherine shared that while there are many critical campaigns taking place globally, Oceana is working hard to engage the US Congress to write laws that will end the trade in shark fins in the USA. Research has shown that reporting of shark fins imported into the United States and exported from the USA is highly inaccurate and that discrepancies between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), are huge.
Oceana takes the position that since there is such a discrepancy in accurate data, and enforcement of existing laws is inadequate and nowhere near comprehensive, the only way to ensure that the United States is not supporting shark finning is to adopt an outright ban on ALL shark fin trade and shark finning in the United States.
In 2011, the GAO reported that other countries self-reported exporting almost 300 metric tons of shark fins to the USA. Globally, almost 73 million sharks end up victims to the shark fin trade every year. Unless strong, enforceable legislation is enacted immediately, the future existence of many critically impacted shark species is in doubt.
By actively supporting their legislative efforts and legal challenges on behalf of ocean conservation, through donations, campaign participation, volunteering and letter writing to lawmakers, Oceana is seeking your support in their critical battle to protect sharks and the marine environment.
Oceana is an international organization focused solely on oceans, dedicated to achieving measurable change by conducting specific, science-based policy campaigns with fixed deadlines and articulated goals. The Ocean Law Project, initiated by The Pew Charitable Trusts, was absorbed into Oceana in 2001 as their legal arm. In 2002, Oceana merged with American Oceans Campaign, founded by actor and environmentalist Ted Danson, to more effectively address our common mission of protecting and restoring the world’s oceans.
Since its founding, Oceana has won more than 200 victories and protected more than 4.5 million square miles of ocean making Oceana one of the most effective and impactful conservation organizations in the world.
To find out how you can support Oceana‘s mission, check out their website at oceana.org.
