September 8, 2011
CEO Note: Nearing A Full Shark Fin Ban on the West Coast
While in 2010 the United States banned shark finning – the act of slicing off a shark’s fins at seas and throwing the bleeding torso overboard to die – it has still allowed the sale and possession of shark fins, encouraging import and a market for the fins. Shark fins are primarily used in shark fin soup.
On Tuesday, the California Senate passed a bill to ban shark fin sale, trade, and possession. It awaits the governor’s signature. Oceana joined the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Humane Society of the United States and Wildaid in support of this legislation.
This legislation builds on precedent and the momentum of Oceana’s work to protect sharks around the globe, including the U.S.’s ban passed last year, and a national ban on finning in Chile passed this July. The California bill joins similar legislation passed this year in Washington and Oregon, and last year in Hawaii. This coastwide action will help to lessen the demand for shark fins, and thus help save sharks across the globe that are slaughtered by countries with few or no regulations.
Up to 73 million sharks are killed each year for their fins, including rare and endangered species. But with this legislation, we are making major progress in saving the oceans’ top predator and one of the most ancient creatures in the sea.
If you’re a California resident, you can help us. Place a phone call to Governor Brown’s office to ask him to pass this bill, AB 376, by Oct. 9 in order to become law. You can reach Governor Brown’s office at 916-445-2841.
With your support, we continue to win victories like this for our oceans. Thank you.