COARE: news | archives | newsletter: April 2011

April Showers . . .
Monday, 02 May 2011

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Contents:
  - Ocean Lobby Day
  - Shark fin bans
  - Dive & Travel Expo
  - Earth Day
  - Santa Clara County bag ban
  - Blue Vision Summit
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Hello, fellow ocean lovers!

In English, we have an expression "April showers bring
May flowers" - suggesting that early spring rains help
produce the lovely blooms and foliage that follow.  This
past month, conservationists from 37 different
organizations, including COARE, "rained" down on
California's capitol in Sacramento for an organized day
of lobbying efforts.  COARE was directly involved in 13
of the 73 meetings held that day, making a difference in 
educating California's leaders that intelligent ocean-
conservation-focused marine policy must be a priority
for our State and for the nation.

We're looking forward to seeing the policies that bloom
as a result of our efforts.

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  - Shark fin bans
 ---

Speaking of conservation policy, it's been a another 
thrilling month for legislative efforts.  After a 
slight, clarifying amendment was made in the House of
Representatives, the Washington State shark fin ban 
(SB 5688) had to return to the Senate for a re-vote
(called concurrence).  The same overwhelming 47-0 
unanimous vote was cast, and now the bill is on the 
Governor's desk.  We spoke with her office again on 
Friday, and expect to have exciting news for you within
the next two weeks.

The controversy over California's version of the shark
fin ban, Assembly Bill (AB) 376, continues to simmer,
but the opposing arguments of racial injustice are 
simply unfounded.  Please continue to support our
efforts by spreading the action link:
    http://www.coare.org/act/ab376

We're expecting the next reading of the bill and the
floor vote to come soon, so if you're a California 
resident, please be sure to contact your Assemblymember 
and let him/her know that you support AB376.  By
spending five minutes to call your legislator, you can 
help protect millions of sharks.

On Friday, 29 April, Oregon's House Bill 2838 met with
overwhelming and unanimous favor.  The House of
Representatives voted 44-0 to pass the bill on to the
Senate for further consideration.  COARE has been
working closely with Representative Witt's office (the
Bill's author) to show support for this legislation.
If you live in Oregon, please visit the following link
to see how you can help:
    http://www.coare.org/act/hb2838

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  - Dive & Travel Expo
 ---

Since we're on the topic of the Pacific Northwest, we'd
like to say hello to everyone we met at the Dive & Travel 
Expo in Tacoma, Washington last month.  Many thanks to
everyone who joined our mailing list and to those who
signed our postcards in support of the Oregon shark fin 
bill.

Many special thanks go to our volunteer staff, whose help 
at the booth was invaluable: Kelly, Kiote, and Rachel.  
Thank you for helping us do what we do!

 ---
  - Earth Day
 ---

On Saturday, 16 April, our colleagues at the Marine
Science Institute in Redwood City, California, held an
event in celebration of Earth Day, and they asked us to 
join the festivities.

The Marine Science Institute is an excellent educational
nonprofit that is dedicated to putting students in
direct physical contact with their local bay environment 
in order to cultivate their natural sense of curiosity
while enriching their understanding of science.  We were
thrilled to be invited back to their annual Earth Day on 
the Bay event (and this year, to celebrate their 40th 
anniversary)!

The event was a huge success -- adults and children of
all ages enjoyed the discovery aquarium (filled with
fish of all different kinds, crabs, eels, and snails, 
among other things), the arts and crafts activities,
live music and entertainment, and canoe rides.  They 
were even given a chance to collect mud and water
samples and examine them under a microscope to identify 
organisms!  It was clear to us that MSI's dedication and
enthusiasm for science was infectious.  COARE was able
to talk to a seemingly never-ending parade of children 
and adults about our message, and we're very excited to 
welcome our new newsletter recipients!

Many thanks to Roxanne, Sara, and Tom for masterfully
staffing the booth and entertaining and informing the
throngs of eventgoers!

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  - Santa Clara County bag ban
 ---

On Tuesday, 26 April, COARE joined four other
organizations (Californians Against Waste, Clean Water
Action, Save the Bay, and the Committee for Green
Foothills), at the Santa Clara County Board of
Supervisors meeting to testify in favor of a proposed
ban of single-use bags.  The ban was adopted by a vote
of 4-1, and the San Jose Mercury News even quoted our
Executive Director in its coverage:
    http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_17933322

Santa Clara County is the most populous county in the
greater San Francisco Bay Area, and this ban, affecting
the unincorporated areas of the county, will help save 
an estimated 608,000 bags from entering the waste stream
each year.

The ban takes a two step approach, first limiting free
distribution to plastic bags that are at least 2.25 mils
thick, and then strengthening the definition of
"reusable bag" the following year.

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  - Blue Vision Summit
 ---

In another two weeks, you can join us with Senator 
Sheldon Whitehouse, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Sylvia Earle, 
Admiral Thad Allen, Celine Cousteau, Carl Safina, 
Barton Seaver, Ralph Nader, Louie Psihoyos, Jim Toomey,
and hundreds of other blue heroes to help turn the tide 
for healthy seas at the Blue Vision Summit and Capitol 
Hill Ocean Day in Washington D.C. 

Come work with hundreds of ocean leaders and also be
part of the 4th annual Peter Benchley Ocean Awards 
(honoring seven outstanding individuals, including 
President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica).

For more information, and to register, visit:
    http://www.bluefront.org/blue_vision_blog/welcome/


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Wishing you healthy oceans, 
 - Your friends at COARE

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