COARE: news | Washington Shark Fin Ban (SB 5688) press release

Washington Shark Fin Ban (SB 5688) Press Release . . .
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12 May 2011


  HISTORIC WASHINGTON LEGISLATION AIMS TO PROTECT SHARKS

Senate Bill 5688 Signed into Law Today, Making Washington 
  First State in the Continental U.S. to Ban Shark Fins


San Francisco, California - 12 May 2011 -- The
Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education,
known more commonly by its acronym "COARE", applauds the
State of Washington for its adoption of Senate Bill
5688 (sponsored by Senators Ranker, Swecker,
Rockefeller, Litzow, Shin, and Kline) and Governor Chris
Gregoire for signing that Bill into law today.  Since
its inception, COARE has been actively addressing shark
conservation issues, and attempts to reduce shark fin
consumption in the U.S. and worldwide.

Washington State is now the first in the continental
U.S. to enact a legislative ban on shark fins.  This law
represents a significant step towards reducing pressure
on rapidly declining shark populations, and complements
recent legislative bans adopted by the State of Hawai'i,
Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.  This law also complements similarly proposed
bans in the States of California and Oregon.

Senate Bill (SB) 5688 was introduced to the Washington
State Senate on 07 February 2011 by Senator Ranker and
co-sponsors to prohibit the sale, purchase, trade, or
preparation for consumption of shark fins or shark fin
derivative products in Washington.  Western ports such
as those in Washington and California are major entry
points for shark fin distribution in the United States.

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.

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.

While the support for Washington's ban, as well as for
its predecessors in Hawai'i, Guam, and CNMI, has been
nearly unequivocal, similar pending legislation in
California is meeting with some resistance.  Opponents
to California's Assembly Bill (AB) 376, claim that it is
an imposition on Chinese culture, and that some sharks
are plentiful; however, "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", said 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 many 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. 

Washington SB 5688 first passed the Senate with a
unanimous 47-0 vote on 07 March 2011, and with an
overwhelming 95-1 vote on 05 April.  "We are absolutely
thrilled by Washington's leadership," said Chin.  "These
resolute and decisive votes set a very clear direction
and provide a strong example and act to follow.  If
legislators in other jurisdictions have been harboring
doubt about which direction to take, the choice should
now be clear."

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 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",
Chin said.  "We're really excited about this new law and
the similar legislation that is pending in Oregon and
California.  We have been working on this concept for a
number of years, and it's wonderful to finally see it to
take form."


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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