EXCLUSIVE: 'House Of Cards' Star Is Sick Of Seeing Whales And Turtles Pointlessly Killed

I've always been fascinated by whales, dolphins and other marine life. I became increasingly so after seeing the documentary 'Blackfish' and wanted to help make a difference. In addition to their natural beauty, these creatures are intelligent, social and play a vital role in the ocean's ecosystem. Sadly, spectacular ocean wildlife including whales and dolphins often become entangled and die in their natural habitat due to unselective fishing gear like drift gillnets. After learning more about the dangers of these nets from Oceana, I knew that I wanted to contribute my voice to help save these amazing underwater animals.

A mile-wide and a hundred-feet-deep, drift gillnets are virtually invisible and catch ocean wildlife indiscriminately. While these nets are meant to capture swordfish, they snare - and regularly kill - sharks, whales, sea turtles and many other marine animals that swim in its path. In fact, the drift gillnet fishery often discards 60 percent of animals caught in these nets!

Everyone can be an advocate for our oceans. To help ensure that whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other marine animals are safeguarded from drift gillnets, sign Oceana's petition at www.oceana.org/stopthenets .