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Washington, DC –
Oceana, the largest international advocacy group to work on
behalf of the world’s oceans, announced a $3 million grant
today from the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation aimed at
protecting threatened ocean habitat and keystone marine
species such as sharks. The foundation’s grant will also
support Oceana’s work to advocate for responsible fishing
measures, including the effort to ban California drift
gillnets.
“The foundation and Leo’s support for
campaigns like our efforts to ban the drift gillnets in
California will help Oceana win more protections for
countless sharks and other marine animals and for ocean
habitats in the Pacific and Arctic – which include some of
the most productive ocean places in the world,” said Oceana
CEO Andy Sharpless. “The net impact will be a much more
abundant and biodiverse ocean that has many millions more
sharks and critical and amazing marine animals, wilder and
more pristine ocean habitats and oceans that can feed over a
billion people – many of them hungry – a healthy seafood
meal each day.”
“Protecting our planet’s oceans and the
marine species that call it home is one of the most pressing
sustainability crises facing humanity today and a moral
imperative that we must acknowledge,” DiCaprio said. “It’s
my hope that this grant will help Oceana continue the
tremendous work that they do daily on behalf of our oceans.”
Spread over a three-year period, the $3
million from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is the first
marine conservation grant made following the foundation’s 11th Hour
Charity Auction hosted at Christie’s last year. The grant
to Oceana will support the organization’s work, from the
south of Chile to the north of Alaska, to preserve
ecologically important ocean areas and Oceana’s campaigns,
including the campaign to ban drift gillnets off California,
in order to protect dolphins, whales, turtles and other
marine animals from being caught and killed as “bycatch.”
Gillnets targeting swordfish and thresher
sharks are set off of Southern California and are typically
a mile-long in diameter. This indiscriminate gear catches
and kills large numbers of non-targeted marine animals
including sperm whales, gray whales, dolphins, sharks, sea
turtles, elephant seals, and sea lions. In response to a
Freedom of Information Act request by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Oceana recently
received hundreds of photos of animals caught and killed by
this destructive gear.
“We are incredibly grateful to our friends at
Christie’s who made last year’s 11th Hour
Auction for the foundation such a success, they made this
grant to Oceana possible,” said Justin Winters, Executive
Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. “We are
excited to support Oceana’s efforts to win real policy
change and protection for vital habitats and species
throughout the Pacific and Arctic oceans.”
“Christie's
is proud to support both the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
and Oceana in their fundamental work to make our planet a
better place” said Steven Murphy, Chief Executive Office of
Christie’s. “It was an honor for Christie’s to host the
Foundation’s 11th Hour Charity Auction and, as we were
delighted with the result achieved, so we are thrilled that
it could facilitate this grant to Oceana, funding such
important endeavors to preserve our oceans.”
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The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is dedicated
to protecting Earth’s last wild places and fostering a
harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural
world. Since 1998, the Foundation has been working on
pressing environmental and humanitarian issues through grant
making, campaigning and media projects. Areas of focus
include; wildlife and habitat preservation, healthy oceans,
water access, climate change and disaster relief. The
Foundation’s strategic approach to philanthropy for a better
planet relies upon active collaboration with effective
organizations as well as with other funders who share our
goals and can magnify our impact. In tandem with LDF’s
philanthropic efforts, the foundation uses digital
media and Leonardo’s website & social media channels to
inform and rally the public on environmental issues. The
Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is a component fund of the
California Community Foundation. For
more information visit www.leonardodicaprio.org
Oceana is
the largest international advocacy group working solely to
protect the world’s oceans. Oceana wins policy victories for
the oceans using science-based campaigns. Since 2001, we
have protected over 1.2 million square miles of ocean and
innumerable sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other sea
creatures. More than 600,000 supporters have already joined
Oceana. Global in scope, Oceana has offices in North, South
and Central America and Europe. To learn more, please visit www.oceana.org
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