COARE: news | California Shark Fin Ban (AB376) press release

California Shark Fin Ban (AB376) Press Release . . .
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06 September 2011


   CALIFORNIA SENATE MAKES HISTORIC MOVE TO PROTECT SHARKS

Assembly Bill 376 Adopted by the California State Senate Today


Sacramento, Califonia - 06 September 2011 -- The
Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education,
known more commonly by its acronym "COARE", applauds the
California State Senate for its passage of State
Assembly Bill 376 (Fong, Huffman).  Since its inception,
COARE has been actively addressing shark conservation
issues, and attempts to reduce shark fin consumption in
the U.S. and worldwide.

Assembly Bill (AB) 376 was introduced to the California
State Assembly on 14 February 2011 by Assemblymembers
Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and Jared Huffman (D-San
Rafael), and subsequently passed the Assembly on 23 May
2011 with a vote of 65-8.  The bill today passed the
Senate with a vote of XX-XX, and the bill now moves on
to the governor for action.

California is now one step closer to helping the West
Coast of the United States enact a full ban on the trade
of shark fins, which will help reduce pressure on
rapidly declining shark populations.  California's
proposed ban complements similar legislation recently
signed into law in Washington State and Oregon, and is
also preceded by legislative bans adopted by the State
of Hawai'i, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands (CNMI).

California is one of the largest sources of demand for
shark fin outside Asia and is a major entry for shark
fin distribution in the United States.  This legislation
represents a significant step towards reducing pressure
on rapidly declining shark populations.

Every year, fins from up to 73 million sharks are used
for shark fin soup, a dish traditionally served at
Chinese weddings and banquets.  This soup has grown in
popularity, increasing consumer demand for shark fins
and contributing to the decimation of shark populations
worldwide as millions of sharks are killed every month,
many for their fins alone.  As a result of these fishing
pressures, one-third of shark species are already
threatened with extinction.

"Sharks have shaped ocean ecosystems for more than 400
million years, but we've pushed many of them to the
brink of extinction just in our lifetimes.  This new law
represents a much needed shift in the way we treat our
ocean's fragile resources, said Alexandra Cousteau,
founder of Blue Legacy and granddaughter of conservation
pioneer Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

As sharks play a vital role in the oceans, their
depletion could cause irreparable damage to marine
ecosystems.  "Sharks are one of our oceans' top
predators, keeping the entire ecosystem in check, but
shark populations have declined dramatically over the
last few decades as a result of human greed and lack of
understanding," said Christopher Chin, COARE's Executive
Director.  Animals at the top of the food chain, such as
sharks, have few natural predators, so they are slow to
mature, and have very few young.  "As a result, they are
extremely sensitive to fishing pressures, and are slow
to recover from overfishing", continued Chin.

"I'm pleased that California can take part in the
worldwide movement to protect these important creatures,
and that we can continue to provide leadership in
important environmental matters," said California
Assemblymember Paul Fong, the bill's primary author.
"We're grateful for organizations like COARE, which have
provided invaluable support throughout this process."

"This is a bold, but very necessary and natural step,"
said Chin.  "Since such a large percentage of sharks are
already considered endangered, and since the practice of
finning is conducted without regard to species, age, or
gender, it is no surprise that even endangered species
are being slaughtered", continued Chin.  DNA sequencing
of a recent sampling of fins for sale in San Francisco
revealed that endangered species, such as the great
hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), are represented on San
Francisco shelves.

"We find that some Chinese and Chinese-Americans simply
don't understand the issues.  If people knew more about
these animals and their crucial role in the ocean, they
would want to protect them", continued Chin.  While
surveying Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, COARE
found a significant number of restaurateurs that served
the controversial soup only because they believed their
customers expected it.  "This bill helps directly
address those informational shortcomings, and provides a
simple solution for those who requested, 'make it
illegal so we don't have to sell it'," reported Chin. 

COARE began development of its Shark Safe program in
early-2007 seeking to protect sharks by raising
awareness of threats to shark populations and by
reducing the demand for shark products.  In 2007, COARE
also teamed up with AB 376 co-sponsor WildAid to launch
the Shark Friendly Communities campaign.  

"By increasing public awareness of the need for shark
conservation, we endeavor to change the way people think
about sharks, thereby reducing the sale, use, and trade
of shark products", said Chin.  "Nowhere else has this
matter seen such resistance, but it's been an arduous
battle here.  We're thrilled that the California
Legislature has done the right thing, and seen past the
grousing of special interests."



About COARE
The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and
Education, Inc. (COARE) is a tax-exempt nonprofit
organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Its
purpose is to study our oceans and increase public
awareness of the earth's marine environment through
educational programs and outreach.  COARE seeks to
enlighten people, young and old, to the plight of the
oceans, to change the way they think and act, and to
encourage them to create positive and lasting change.
For more information about COARE, and the Shark Safe
certification program, visit http://www.coare.org and 
http://www.sharksafe.org.

COARE, Shark Safe, and the Shark Safe logo are
trademarks of The Center for Oceanic Awareness,
Research, and Education, Inc.  All other company names
or marks mentioned herein are those of their respective
owners.


Media Contact:
Jennifer Bowyer, media@coare.org, +1-510-495-7875

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