Antonio Banderas Updates

Banderas-Buddies are WAVE MAKERS

CONTACT: Doralisa Pilarte Oceana 2501 M
Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20037
Phone: (202) 833-3900 Fax: (202) 833-2070
dpilarte@oceana.org

April 6, 2005 Washington -- Actor Antonio
Banderas has recorded nine Public Service
Announcements for Oceana, the only
international conservation group solely
dedicated to protecting the oceans.

"I'm Antonio Banderas and I want to rock your
boat." Banderas says in one of the PSAs that
will be offered to broadcasters in Spanish and
in English in some of the locations where
Oceana works: the United States, Chile and
Spain.

In the PSAs, Banderas describes the effects of
bottom trawling, a commercial fishing practice
that destroys in just minutes entire acres of
submarine coral gardens that took more than a
thousand years to grow. This wholesale
destruction leaves fish without crucial habitat to
breed, eat and hide from predators.

"For centuries, we have treated the oceans with
profound disrespect. We have fished species
of marine life to extinction." Banderas says in a
PSA. "Commercial fishing practices called
bottom trawling and dirty fishing destroy
marine habitat and kill sea turtles, dolphins
and other endangered marine life. Oceana has
been fighting -- and winning -- to protect
marine animals and ocean habitat." Banderas,
who is from Malaga, a seaside town in
southern Spain, is a lover of the oceans.

"Antonio's support means a great deal to
Oceana," said Oceana CEO Andrew
Sharpless. "He has the unique ability to help
Oceana achieve one of our key goals: building
a worldwide base for the oceans in the
United States, in Spain and in Chile. My staff in
Spain literally jumped and cheered when they
saw the picture of him in an Oceana T-shirt
recording the spots. We hope that this will get
people all over North America, Latin America
and Europe jumping with enthusiasm and
signing up to help Oceana."

Banderas volunteered to record the PSAs free
of charge for Oceana, a non-profit, at the
request of his friend and fellow actor Ted
Danson, a member of Oceana's Board of
Directors. Danson's organization, American
Oceans Campaign, merged with the Ocean
Law Project to form Oceana in 2000.

"You care about our oceans? Then rock the
boat; make some waves. Make your voice
heard. At Oceana-dot-o-r-g. I'm Antonio
Banderas and I'm an Oceana WaveMaker."