This Monday, August 15th, the California Senate Appropriations Committee will vote on A.B. 376, a bill that would ban the sale and trade of shark fins in the state. California controls an estimated 85 percent of the shark fin trade in the U.S., so this legislation will undoubtedly have a major impact.
Procuring shark fins involves an incredibly cruel process called "finning," where fishermen cut off the fins and tails of live sharks and then throw them back into the ocean to drown or bleed to death. Finning is decimating shark populations, killing nearly 73 million sharks every year and causing declines of 90 percent in some species' populations. The loss of a top predator like sharks wreaks havocs on ocean ecosystems, and a few states and countries have already enacted legislation banning the sale of shark fins.
California's shark fin ban already passed the State Assembly by a healthy vote of 65-8, with bipartisan support. But now the fate of AB 376 lies in the Senate. First, the Appropriations Committee will take up the bill on the 15th, then the full Senate in early November if AB 376 passes in committee. It won't be an easy battle to win, though: Appropriations Committee member Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) believes that the ban would unintentionally discriminate against Chinese Americans. He has suggested banning fishing for sharks off California or banning the sale of all shark products in the state, neither of which have a shot at becoming law.
The Asian Pacific American (APA) Ocean Harmony Alliance, an organization that started a petition on Change.org urging lawmakers to pass AB 376, will be tabling in support of the bill at the Capitol on the 15th. Various groups — including Heal the Bay, Shark Savers, and the Humane Society of the United States — local businesses, families, and community leaders will hold a rally on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 10 AM at the Manhattan Beach Pier.
This is an incredibly important vote, both for sharks and the oceans at large. The committee members who are going to vote on the 15th need to hear from you! If you want to conserve sharks and oceanic ecosystems, sign the APA Ocean Harmony Alliance's petition urging California lawmakers to vote in favor of AB 376.
Photo Credit: TummyRummble via Flickr
Posted: 2011-08-12 10:05:00
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