Success Stories

In 2011, Defenders of Wildlife and 12 other conservation organizations worked with California lawmakers to pass AB376, which officially banned the possession, trade, importing and distribution of shark fins in the Golden State. This eliminates one of the largest ports in America as an import destination of shark fins and helped close a loophole to California’s already existing finning ban. Learn more >>

In 2007, after five years of hard work by Defenders of Wildlife, Mexico officially banned shark finning in the country. This was a huge victory not only for sharks but also for animals like sea turtles and sea lions as the legislation also provided protection for their habitat and more conservation-focused fishing practices.

In 2004, Defenders of Wildlife and the Species Survival Network lobbied successfully for CITES protections for the endangered White shark. Two years earlier, Defenders helped the Whale shark and the Basking shark receive protections as well.