He owns a bike—he’s saving sharks (again!)
He’s baaaaack!! On the heals of his successful 2010 initiative to raise awareness for shark conservation during his bike ride around the Western USA, Marc DiMaggio, a school teacher from California, announced he’ll be at it again this summer, riding coast to coast this time to raise awareness and support for his Spinning to End (shark) Finning campaign.
DiMaggio’s initiative surfaced from his passion for environmental stewardship and his desire to raise awareness for the destruction of global shark populations caused by finning, the egregious practice of cutting off a shark’s fins to make shark fin soup.
DiMaggio and Lambert will both ride to save sharks this summer (Photo: Gaylene Ewing)
In 2010 he and partner Gaylene Ewing, owner of Inktree Photography, combined his love of bike riding with this drive to save sharks and developed Spinning to End Finning, and 2 month long bike ride from Missoula, Montana to Pueblo, Colorado. During the trip DiMaggio not only rode his bike, but he talked to people along the way about the important roles that sharks play in maintaining the stability of marine ecosystems and how finning is driving many species to the brink of extinction. In addition, he raised money for the international anti-finning movement. This year DiMaggio won’t be riding alone as he’s teamed up with Devon Lambert, a conservation biology student at the University of California at Davis to more affectively spread the campaign’s message.
Plans to do a second ride we’re announced on Spinning to End Finning’s blog on April 1st, and all donations raised will go to ARCAE and Pretoma, two Costa Rican environmental non-profits that work to stop shark finning and promote sustainable fishing practices.
DiMaggio on his 2010 ride (Photo: Gaylene Ewing)
DiMaggio and his team’s efforts come at a critical time in the fight to stop shark finning. Many states have recently adopted legislation that prohibits the buying and selling of shark fins. But despite growing efforts to protect sharks, an estimated 30-75 million individuals are finned every year to feed the burgeoning shark fin soup industry in Southeast Asia.
More information will be available on the Spinning to End Finning blog regarding ways to donate, this year’s bike route, and updates from the riders as they pedal across the States.
If you would like more information about the 2012 Spinning to End Finning campaign, please write to its communications director, Gaylene Ewing, at spinningtoendfinning@gmail.com gaylene.ewing@gmail.com
