London, June 30 (IANS) Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has urged officials in California to ban the sale of shark fins in the state.

The actor, a longtime animal rights campaigner, has thrown his support behind the proposed Assembly Bill 376, which would make it illegal to possess, sell or trade sought-after fins, reports dailystar.co.uk.

In a letter to members of the California State Senate, DiCaprio wrote: "The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has concluded that a third of shark species are now threatened with extinction of some kind."

"And recent estimates state that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year for use in shark fin soup and other products," he added.

"Despite fisheries' attempts at regulation, the inhumane practice of finning continues unabated too, as does the illegal capture of sharks from marine reserves and sovereign waters," he wrote.

DiCaprio's petition was also signed by conservationists at The Humane Society, WildAid and The Natural Resources Defense Council.