Florida Becomes the 14th State to Ban the Shark Fin Trade

It's time to celebrate, Florida is officially the 14th state to ban the shark fin trade! 

The Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act (SB680) is now law in the Sunshine State, what will soon be known as the previous hub of the fin trade for the United States. This was no easy feat, to say the least, 2 years of sweat, tears and a couple drops of blood. The journey was filled with tough hurdles and strong opposition, there was not a single easy day in this campaign. But all of us persisted and with this we have proven, once again, that we can succeed if we persist. When we started this campaign we were told that it couldn’t be done in Florida, that there was no point in trying. Well, sometimes it is the toughest fights we have to tackle, just because they usually are the most important ones. When we put our collective power behind an effort, we can do the (nearly) impossible.

We cannot thank our Allies enough, you spoke up for sharks every single time we said go! This would without-a-doubt not have been possible without our masterful lobbyists, Senator Travis Hutson, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation team, our seasters at Fin Alliance, the #NoFinFL partner organizations and last but definitely not least, the ocean warrior herself, Representatives Kristin Jacobs. Without her, there would be no Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act. Kristin's work will always be remembered. We love you, the sharks thank you, Mother Nature thanks you!⁠

To celebrate this major feat and our late bill sponsor (SB680's namesake), Representative Kristin Jacobs, we are painting a mural in Florida in November. Our dear Ally and Florida-based conservation artist, Kelly Quinn, will be injecting the piece with all the vibrant colors of the ocean and Florida's most famous sharks. To do this well, we need YOUR help to pay for Kelly's supplies! Please click this link to donate and share our GoFundMe. Any gift goes a long way!