Support needed: California shark fin bill

Written by Shark Savers

Tuesday, 15 February 2011 13:35

On February 14, Assemblymembers Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) unveiled landmark legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 376, to ban the shark fin trade and shark finning, a process where the fins and tails are cut from living sharks, and the remainder of the fish, which is often still alive, is thrown back into the ocean. You can download the bill, here: California AB 376.

Please show that you support this bill by calling or sending letters or emails to:

Show support to the bill sponsor,
Asssemblymember Paul Fong, contact info, below.
Show opposition to the position of the bill's opponent
Senator Yee, contact info, below. Please be respectful, but it's important to send him a message, as well.
Note: Senator Yee's official email box may be full or closed. Try this one, as well: 這個 E-mail 地址已經被防止灌水惡意程式保護，您需要啟用 Java Script 才能觀看
California residents: Send a letter or email of support to your Senator and Assemblymember. Find your Assemblymember here. Find your Senator, here.
Organizations providing official support for the bill: Letters should be addressed to Asm Fong on organization’s official letterhead. Include the bill number and an express the desire to be listed in support of AB 376. Copies of these letters will be given to committee consultants analyzing the bill at the various stages of consideration and organizations will be listed in the formal bill analysis in support of the bill.

Here are addresses and phone numbers for the Assemblymember Fong (for) and Senator Yee (opposed):

Assemblymember Paul Fong 這個 E-mail 地址已經被防止灌水惡意程式保護，您需要啟用 Java Script 才能觀看
Capitol Office: State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0022 Tel: (916) 319-2022 Fax: (916) 319-2122	District Office: 274 Castro Street, Suite 202 Mountain View, CA 94041 Tel: (408) 277-2003 Fax: (408) 277-2084 Tel: (650) 210-2000 Fax: (650) 210-2005
Senator Leland Yee, PHD 這個 E-mail 地址已經被防止灌水惡意程式保護，您需要啟用 Java Script 才能觀看 Use this alternative email as well as his email box may be full or closed: 這個 E-mail 地址已經被防止灌水惡意程式保護，您需要啟用 Java Script 才能觀看
Capitol Office State Capitol, Room 4074 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4008	San Francisco Office 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 14200 San Francisco, CA 94102 Phone: (415) 557-7857 San Mateo Office 400 South El Camino Real, Suite 630 San Mateo, CA 94402 Phone: (650) 340-8840

Here is a sample email or letter. Please personalize it:

Subject: In support AB 376 Related to Shark Fins

The Honorable Assemblymember Fong,

As an advocate for the health of our oceans and out planet, I respectfully submit this testimony in support of AB 376. Sharks are vital to maintaining balance in our oceans, and the unsustainable trade in shark fins is driving many shark species to the brink of extinction. Up to 73 million sharks are killed annually, mostly for their fins to be used in shark fin soup.

California now has the opportunity to take a stand against this destruction. Please vote in support of AB 376. The world and future generations will thank you.

Best Regards,

Thanks for taking a stand and participating in this historic legislation in California!

Comments (12)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Leslie said:

...
Sharks are such an amazing misunderstood evolutionary success. I am a 7th grade teacher and used to work as a scuba diving instructor in the Cayman Islands and Australia. Every interaction I had with these amazing creatures was magical. I cannot believe we are allowing an apex predator that has been around for 400 million years to disappear for a soup. We must do something. Please educate everyone you know and inform them about their importance in the oceanic food chain. Before it is too late.

March 28, 2011
Votes: +2

karlia wheatley said:

...
sharks are grossly mis-understood beautiful creatures of the deep, shark population has decreased by 90% and we still allow this barbaric act to continue. shark fin soup has been proven to have a negative effect on the body due to high mercury levels and shark fins are only used for texture in the chicken stock based soup. every day hundreds of sharks are striped of there fins whilst still alive and left to drown or starve. if this were to happen on land with animals like lions tigers or elephants people wouldn't stand for it for more than a day, it would cause world wide out-roar. we have to start to understand these great creatures that not only hold the eco-system of the oceans but in turn shape the eco-system of the entire planet they have been shaping this planet for thousands of years and have survived 3 massive extinctions that have wiped out much of the world. i cant properly express my deep concern for this subject these beautiful animals need our help and as soon as possible shark fin soup should be outlawed all over the world and higher regulations need to be made to protect the open waters.

March 08, 2011
Votes: +4

Yvonne Chu said:

	... There is no reason to eat any dish that leads to the endangerment of a species. Similar to the ivory trade, the only way we can enforce the ban on shark-finning is to cut the demand. Thank you Paul Fong and Jared Huffman!
	report abuse vote down vote up

March 03, 2011
Votes: +4

Nishma Shah said:

	Take Action... Please stop killing shark the beautiful creature on the planet....
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 28, 2011
Votes: +7

Julia Shaylor said:

	... All shark hunting must end now.
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 26, 2011
Votes: +5

Julia Shaylor said:

	Ms All shark hunting must end now.
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 26, 2011
Votes: +5

Jean morris said:

	... Please do everything in your power to stop this barbaric practice
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 17, 2011
Votes: +9

Levi said:

	... If you're going to email Senator Yee, you have to leave a message on his website through the link provided http://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=SD08 Otherwise, you receive an apology reply that they don't read email to that addy due to the large amount of spam they get.
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 17, 2011
Votes: +6

Eric Mills said:

coordinator, ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Kudos to Assemblymember Fong for putting environmental protection and animal ahead of archaic cultural practices. Send him a thank-you note (address below).

AB 376 has yet to be assigned to committee,but it will likely go to Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife, chaired by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), who is also a co-sponsor of the bill. And Assemblymember Fongs sits on this same committee.

Note that Hawaii banned shark fins last year, and both Washington and Oregon are now considering similar legislation.

ALL LEGISLATORS MAY BE WRITTEN C/O THE STATE CAPITOL, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814. We should also be encouraging local SF reps to be taking a support position on this bill ASAP: Senator Mark Leno, Assemblymembers Fiona Ma and Tom Ammiano, and yes, Senator Leland Yee, who has temporarily misplaced his good judgment.

Sincerely,
Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS

February 16, 2011
Votes: +4

Levi said:

	... If you are going to email senator Yee, you have to contact his office through this portion on his webiste - http://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=SD08 Otherwise, an email to the addy provided sends back an apology notice that your message hasn't been read due to the large number of spam they receive.
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 16, 2011
Votes: +2

Edith Bauer said:

	... I support a ban on Shark Fin Soup here in California and all over the globe. This is a terrible, torturous act and these sharks suffer tremendously. Please stop all shark fining now!
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 16, 2011
Votes: +5

Jose Roa said:

	Dont eat sharks fin Please dont eat ever shark fin, if we dont take care of sharks will be problems with the balance of the ocean.
	report abuse vote down vote up

February 15, 2011
Votes: +12

Write comment

Related Stories

Leslie said:

karlia wheatley said:

Yvonne Chu said:

Nishma Shah said:

Julia Shaylor said:

Julia Shaylor said:

Jean morris said:

Levi said:

Eric Mills said:

Levi said:

Edith Bauer said:

Jose Roa said: