Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gives $2M To Stop Overfishing

NEW YORK – The conservation foundation of environmental activist slash actor Leonardo DiCaprio said on Thursday that it has awarded a $2 million grant to establish marine reserves and to stop overfishing.

Named a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations last month to raise awareness about climate change, DiCaprio said the money provided to Oceans 5 will support marine conservation projects around the globe.

Ocean 5 is an international funders’ collaborative that supports groups working on ocean conservation projects.

In a statement, DiCaprio said “the sad truth is that less than two percent of our oceans are fully protected. We need to change that now.”

The 39-year old Oscar-nominated star said the funds will support projects to create protected areas in the Pacific Islands and the Arctic, to improve enforcement of fishing regulations in Europe, the United States and Central America, and to protect threatened shark populations.

DiCaprio established his foundation in 1998, aiming to protect the environment and preserve the planet’s natural resources and wildlife.

Report said that last year the foundation also awarded a $3 million grant to the World Wildlife Fund to help Nepal increase its tiger population and raised $38.8 million through donations and an art auction in New York.

Image Credit: www.telegraph.co.uk