This is to all of you cool Activists that are the #voiceforthevoiceless !

From Oceana.

You are unstoppable.

Oceana activists like you have taken action over 600,000 times this year—sending letters, calling legislators, joining demonstrations—and your hard work has led to some amazing victories.

Oceana can only win protections for ocean creatures and ecosystems because of your participation. Here are some of the victories you helped win this year:

No seismic airgun blasts in the Atlantic —We’ve been fighting for over a year to keep seismic airgun blasting for oil out of the Atlantic. Over 100,000 supporters like you signed petitions, made calls, and attended meetings to stop these dangerous blasts this year. Then in August, the Department of the Interior (DOI) postponed their decision on the blasts for the third time in the face of public pressure. We’ve given the DOI plenty to think about, and with your help, we can make sure their final decision is the right one for dolphins and whales this coming year.

Protecting Spanish seafloor habitats—After seven years of campaigning by Oceana, Spain has agreed to prohibit trawling over fragile habitats on the seamounts of the Mallorca Channel and the coral reefs east of Cabrera, protecting these important habitats from being crushed and destroyed by fishing activity.

Saving sharks—Over 4,000 Oceana activists in New York petitioned for their state to ban the trade of shark fins, and in July, New York became the eighth US state to implement a shark fin trade ban. In the same month, the European Union banned all shark finning by EU vessels after a five-year campaign by Oceana and partners.

Stopping offshore drilling in Belize—Oceana’s supporters in Belize and across the world have shown up again and again to protest offshore drilling in Belize’s famous barrier reef, collecting over 20,000 signatures for a national referendum, and then organizing to cast 29,235 votes in a “People’s Referendum.” And this year, Belize’s Supreme Court declared all offshore drilling contracts issued by the Belizean government null and void, essentially stopping all offshore drilling in Belizean waters. The battle to protect Belize’s reef goes on, but our activists in Belize and beyond should be proud of what you've accomplished.

These victories could never have happened without you! Thank you for taking time for the oceans.

Thank you,
Rachael Prokop
Oceana