In Ecuador, celebrities don’t come more celebrated than Alex Aguinaga, the country’s most widely recognized soccer star and one of its most respected citizens. So Ecuadorians took notice last October when Aguinaga—along with the coach and four other top players of the country’s World Cup-bound national team—launched a petition drive aimed at pressing the government to curb the wholesale killing of sharks. Sports figures here rarely lead environmental causes, but Aguinaga has become an enthusiastic shark-protection advocate since he watched a video showing how the animals are slaughtered by the thousands in Ecuador to feed the lucrative shark-fin trade. “Just as soccer brought us together, let’s come together today for sharks,” Aguinaga said in a television spot aired as part... [Log in to read more]