Recently, both UPS and DHL announced that they would cease shipments of shark fins—a major victory in the protection of these animals, some of which are critically endangered.
Shark finning is a brutal practice—with their fins hacked off and their bodies thrown back into the water, these sharks can no longer swim and are left to die from shock, blood loss, starvation or predation by other fish.
Please join us in calling on FedEx to follow the example set by UPS and DHL and ban the shipment of shark fins!
Dear Mr. Frederick W. Smith, CEO FedEx,
As an advocate for Defenders of Wildlife and someone who cares deeply about the conservation of marine wildlife, particularly sharks, I am writing to urge your company, FedEx, to stop shipping shark fins both internationally and within the United States. Twenty-five percent of shark species are currently listed as endangered, threatened, or near threatened by extinction. With an estimated 73 million sharks killed for their fins each year, it is imperative that the international shipping industry ensure that it is not inadvertently facilitating the shipment of illegal shark fins from CITES-listed species.
Within the last week, both UPS and DHL announced that they will no longer ship shark fins. I strongly request that FedEx follow the example set by these other shipping companies and join them in taking an enormous stride for shark conservation worldwide.
Please stop shipping shark fins and help conserve shark species around the world! It is long overdue for this brutal practice of shark fining to end.
Thank you for your consideration,
[your name]
