AB 376 Action: Bill passed! Next up: Governor's Desk!
Details
UPDATE: AB 376 has pased the full Senate. Keep your eyes on this group to get info on our next, and last, step: Gettign the Governor to sign it!
http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/c/9/7/event_41295511.jpeg
This event to be updated soon!
The opposition (some restaurants, mostly) have banded together and hired high-priced lobbyists. They (the restaurant owners) know they don't enjoy the majority opinion on the shark fin issue here in California, so they're trying to buy their way out of being eco-responsible.
PLEASE: Contact your state senator (and as many others as you can) and tell them how you feel about this bill. This is California's big eco issue for the year and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Here is a list of ALL Ca Senators and their contact info: http://senate.ca.gov/senators?order=field_senator_district_value&sort=asc
Call them all! Tell them you're a Ca resident and you want the will of the people to be done!
http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/4/6/a/event_22509322.jpeg
Current status of AB 376: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html (Headed to the full Senate Floor.)
-------------------------------------------------
As a Hawaiin native, I am especially sensitive to the plight of sharks and how so many species are on the brink of extinction. Contact your Ca state Senator and and tell them to vote for AB 376, the shark fin ban bill. This is crucially important and you can help make a difference!
-Kelly Hu (Hollywood actress and shark advocate), for Power Scuba & the Shark Protectorate
http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/c/4/b/event_26440011.jpeg
----------------------------------
I can't believe this is an issue anyone has to ponder for even a moment! Shark fin products are the result of cruel and inhumane methods. Contact your state representative today and tell them to help pass legislation before it's too late. Sharks are going away right before our very eyes!"
Marissa Cuevas (Actress, model, and shark fan) for Power Scuba and the Shark Protectorate
http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/1/3/b/event_28864411.jpeg
BACKGROUND:
Every year fins from tens of millions of sharks are used for shark fin soup. In most cases the sharks are finned alive and then thrown back into the sea to die a slow and horrific death.
http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/3/6/a/event_22509066.jpeg
The human appetite for shark fin soup has been a major contributor to the near collapse of shark populations worldwide, including in California. You can not lose an apex predator in the food chain without incurring drastic, lasting negative changes in the overall underwater ecosystem.
The level of shark take simply can not be sustained. Sharks are slow to mature and slow to reproduce... and there are no viable shark "fisheries" in the world. Once they're gone, they're gone.
Outside of Asia, California is one of the biggest consumers of shark fin soup. There are federal laws banning shark finning in US waters, but not the IMPORTATION of the fins from overseas. (Major loophole.) This bill (AB 376) addresses that issue by banning the sale, importation, and use of shark fin in California.
Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon have recently signed their shark fin ban bills into law. So have Guam and the Marianas Islands.
California has always been at the forefront of eco issues, but this one won't come easy. Some are attempting to portray this as an attack on Chinese culture. Far from it. Chinese culture emphasizes a harmony and solidarity with nature. This bill is attempting to restore that harmony.
---------------------------------
Join with us and help stop an eco-travesty. Contact your rep immediately and tell them how you feel. RSVP to the right and let us know when you have done so. Help us build a wave of enthusiasm and excitement!
Bill
Supreme Benchwarmer