A shark frenzy?

Are you ready to get in on the frenzy around sharks? I’m not talking about the Discovery Channel’s annual “Shark Week” that launches this Sunday.  I’m referring to the showdown in Sacramento around the proposed ban on shark fins, Assembly Bill 376 (Fong).

A big vote in the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled for August 15, but supporters remain nervous about whether or not they have enough votes to pass the bill. Support for the bill would seem to be straightforward.  Sharks are in trouble because they are over-fished for their fins.  AB 376 would help stabilize shark populations in the same way that bans on the sale and possession of ivory tusks do for elephants.

Here are the simple facts: Shark populations are in decline, with some on the verge of extinction. The large demand for shark fins correlates with the demise of sharks worldwide – 73 million sharks are killed every year for the fin trade. If we ban the trade, sale, and possession of shark fins, then shark populations can begin to recover. This is more like simple math than rocket science.

Still, the bill that would put this ban into place, AB 376, is in a lot of trouble. An expensive, high-powered lobbying team has been hired to round up votes to kill the bill. The opposition funding this effort comes mostly from restaurants that serve shark fin soup and shark finners and processors.

One of the main arguments in opposition to the bill is that it is racist, since shark fins are primarily consumed by Chinese Americans. Ironically, the bill’s author is Chinese American, as are many of its supporters. Here’s a video starring Chinese basketball superstar, Yao Ming, speaking in support of the ban:

If California does the right thing and passes the shark fin ban, we will be joining a larger community that is working to stabilize and recover shark populations worldwide. This includes Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the state of Washington, where shark fin bans have passed. As reported in Hawaii News Now, the ban is not expected to have much of an impact on local economies:

“Johnson Choi with the Hong Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce says the ban won't have much fiscal impact on restaurants mainly because the soup is expensive and in the down economy people haven't bought it.”

And Hawaii has only half the unemployment rate that California has.

California needs to step up and join in the fight to protect sharks and the stability of our ocean ecosystems. Our state alone represents a significant market for shark fins in the United States, with San Diego and Los Angeles as two of the top U.S. entry points for shark fin imports.  AB 376 will eliminate the supply of shark fins here and end our state’s involvement in the highly destructive global shark fin trade.

Without healthy shark populations, the health of our oceans suffers. As predators at or near the top of marine food webs, sharks help maintain the balance of marine life in our oceans. Research shows that the massive depletion of sharks has cascading effects throughout the oceans’ ecosystems. Complicating matters, sharks are particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they are slow to reach reproductive maturity and produce very few offspring. AB 376 will give critical protection to sharks and preserve the health of California’s and the world’s ocean ecosystems and biodiversity.

Take action: Ask your State Senator to support AB 376.

(photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hermanusbackpackers/3343254977/)