California bill would outlaw Chinese delicacy, protect sharks

The movement to help bring an end to the cruel and destructive practice of shark-finning has reached California in the form of Assembly Bill 376, introduced Monday by lawmakers Paul Fong and Jared Huffman. If passed it'll outlaw the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in the Golden State.

Why is this important? Because sharks, as top predators, play a paramount role in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem, and because they're being slaughtered -- mostly to satisfy demand in China for shark-fin soup -- at a rate that is not sustainable. As many as 70 million sharks are killed globally each year,  according to some estimates, and experts predict some species could be wiped out if widespread finning continues.

As noted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Monday in its Sea Notes blog, California represents a significant domestic market for shark fins, and California ports are key points of entry for all shark fins entering the U.S.

The aquarium is a lead sponsor of the legislation. In a statement, executive director Julie Packard said, "Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins – an unsustainable slaughter of some of the ocean’s most magnificent animals. Killing sharks at this rate, and pushing an estimated one-third of open-ocean shark species to the brink of extinction, does more than rob our children and grandchildren of these creatures.

"As research shows, it also damages the ecosystems that support many other species – degrading habitats like coral reefs and kelp forests, and ultimately affecting the fish populations that we depend on for food."

Shark finning, as many are aware, involves the removal of fins from captured sharks. In most cases, the shark is then tossed overboard to make room for more fins. Often times, the shark is alive during this process, so it sinks to the bottom and suffers a slow death.

The movement to end this practice has enjoyed some victories. The U.S., for example, does not allow finning in its waters, but still allows the sale and distribution of fins. This leaves it up to states to take more protective measures.

Hawaii took the lead recently by passing legislation similar to what Fong and Huffman have introduced. As a result, shark-fins cannot be possessed in Hawaii and shark-fin soup, considered a delicacy among Chinese and others in Asian communities, is no longer openly advertised on restaurant menus.

Opposition in Hawaii was limited mostly to owners of Chinese restaurants, and the same might end up being true in California.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) and several restaurant owners will oppose the bill. The senator, who is a candidate for mayor of San Francisco, said in a statement that he was concerned about overfishing but added: "The proposed state law to ban all shark fins from consumption -- regardless of species or how they were fished or harvested -- is the wrong approach and an unfair attack on Asian culture and cuisine. Some sharks are well-populated and many can and should be sustainably fished."

This is debatable, given the indiscriminate methods used to catch sharks and that the predators are slow to mature and reproduce, and have only a few offspring.

Said Packard: "California has long been a leader in ocean conservation. Enacting AB 376 would be another important step in protecting our ocean resources for future generations. Because California represents one of the largest markets for shark fins outside Asia, stopping the sale and distribution of shark fins here will have impacts that resonate worldwide."

This is an issue the environmental community is watching closely. AB 376 will be heard in policy committee in March.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo courtesy of Monterey Bay Aquarium

Twitter: @Pete_Thomas

Comments

[Christopher Beau]

Ok, now the GOOD stuff. Has anyone compiled a list of email addresses of ALL those involved in the vote, so that our emails can be sent and the bombardment start? Same with phone numbers...
Please let me/us know,
Cheers,
Christopher Beau
Founder WhiteEarth (the DOT goes here) org

[Bill Powers]

The Shark Protectorate (a focus group of the 920-member non-profit Power Scuba) is comprised mostly of scuba divers... a demographic uniquely situated to view exactly what is happening to fish populations beneath the waves. Our birds eye... rather, FISH EYE VIEW tells us populations are going down. In addition to our large amount of anecdotal evidence, the science behind the assertion shark species are "going away" is overwhelming. Again, unless one is decended from Chinese royalty or nobility, this can not be construed as a "cultural" issue. A red herring if ever there was one. This is an environmental issue pure and simple. In answer to the fake-named Asia Shark, regarding what my group and I might do if a group came out against turkeys: The answer is quite simple. If turkeys were placed on an endangered or threatened (or similar science-based white papers) list we would quit eating them without so much as a sqeak of protest. I would also expect restaurants to stop serving the dish. Doing the right things isn't all that hard. Senator Leeland Yee came out in opposition to AB376 with the backing of several high profile restaurants in San Fransico. What he underestimated is the backlash he would get from other corners of the city and beyond. "Well done" to Assemblyman Fong for spearheading this important legislation.

[Yuet-Ming (Yvonne) Chu]

There is no reason to eat ANY dish, of any culture, that leads to the endangerment of a species.

If Chinese all over the world continue to consume shark fin soup, sharks, which have been around for hundreds of millions of years, will be decimated in our lifetime, with adverse effects on our environment.

I'm a Chinese immigrant and I personally feel that because Chinese have caused the depletion of sharks in the ocean, we have an added responsibility to support this ban.

The shark fin trade has parallels to the ivory trade and our experience with ivory demonstrates that the only way to enforce the ban is to cut the demand.

[Brad Fallon]

I support this bill which protect the sharks which I think has already small number of existence. If they will not stop doing this, sooner or later there will be no shark in existence because they are slow to reproduce and they only have a few offspring. The Chinese can do without their sharks fin soup. They have other plenty of dishes.

[Eric Mills]

Kudos to Assemblyman Paul Fong for putting environmental protection and animal welfare above greed and profit. Senator Leland Yee needs to get with the program. Or is this just "politics as usual," in his run for SF mayor?

Shark fin soup is an over-priced luxury item eaten for status and, God help me, its rumored power as an aphrodisiac. We're on the verge of losing an entire family of animals for soup and superstition. Not acceptable.

A reported 100 MILLION sharks are mutilated and dumped back into the ocean like so much trash, to suffer a lingering death. There should be a world-wide ban on this obscene commerce.

Meanwhile, we should boycott ALL restaurants which serve this perverse product, and let the owners know why.

ALL STATE LEGISLATORS MAY BE WRITTEN C/O THE STATE CAPITOL, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814. Let them hear from you, esp. Assemblyman Paul Fong, Senator Leland Yee, and local SF reps Senator Mark Leno and Assemblymembers Fiona Ma and Tom Ammiano.

In the past, Senator Yee has been a strong proponent of both environmental protection and animal welfare. But he's wrong on this one. I would wager that the majority of his constituents, Asian-American and otherwise, would support this legislation.

[Asia Shark]

"The Shark Protectorate of San Diego?"

Another Bubble Gum Shark Group.

A quick look at TSPSD finds 68 members and only one Asian member in the whole group. For anyone at the TSPSD to claim that the shark fin soup issue is not a cultural issue shows a complete lack of respect for Asian culture and what they and get to determine what is food or not.

Let's face it the anti-shark fin movement is an overwhelming non Asian issue and if there's to be any serious changes with shark fin Asians will have to spearhead this initiative, not whites.

The folks over at the TSPSD better get that fact now on the front end, or find themselves locked into a racist box on the back end, a fight they cannot win.

Non Asians cannot determine what other cultures can or cannot eat without a serious fight.

What if Asians came out against Thanksgiving Turkeys, and mounted the same campaign, think you folks would stand for it?

No.

This initiative while well meaning, is a frontal attack on another culture pure and simple, why the shark groups chose this line of attack is beyond comprehension.

Good luck there's a lot riding on this.

One might say too much.

[Bill Powers]

The Shark Protectorate of San Diego hails this introduced legislation as critically important, timely, and humane. The argument that eating shark fin soup is a part of Chinese “culture” is particularly untrue. In ages past, ONLY ROYALTY were allowed/could afford to eat the soup (which was seen as a rare delicacy). Thus, unless present day Americans-of-Chinese-decent can trace their roots to royal or dynastic origins, the premise that SFS-eating is “traditional” is completely bogus.