Sonja Fordham

Sonja Fordham is the founder and president of Washington, DC-based Shark Advocates International, a nonprofit project of The Ocean Foundation. Through this and past positions with the Shark Alliance and Ocean Conservancy, she has three decades of experience in advocating for science-based policies for sharks and rays. She has been at the forefront of many landmark elasmobranch conservation actions, including protections under regional fisheries bodies and listings under CITES. She is a former deputy chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group and current chair of the American Elasmobranch Society Conservation Committee. Sonja serves on various U.S. advisory panels relevant to shark and ray fishing restrictions, including the U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee, and has authored numerous publications on elasmobranch conservation.