gina 9 Posted February 14, 2011 Legislators in California are trying to pass a bill which would outlaw the sale of shark fins in the state. Unfortunately, the bill has outspoken opposition in the form of Sen. Leland Yee, who sees it as an attack on Asian culture. I know I am preaching to the choir here when I say finning really needs to be outlawed, so if there is any way you can help support this bill, please do! More info is here: http://www.wildaid.org/index.asp?CID=8&...1&TERID=434 -Gina Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drew 0 Posted February 14, 2011 Dr Yee is a politician working to get the Mayor seat. He's protecting his political base which is Chinese. He's right in the sense that it is a cultural dish that is being banned. If this were a caviar ban, there'd be a riot yet very few caviar sources are sustainable. However, his sole argument that the activity is sustainable is wrong and needs to be shown that. The race card is about the only play proponents can use since data doesn't support their sustainable argument. He's fought off other bans including frog and turtle. If it's "sustainable," the only other argument is cruelty. And that's subjective and cultural. Still, Bay area folks should let Yee know that that the data he has is wrong and he should support the ban until populations are rebuilt. That's if he wants to be Mayor. Here is a contact page: Sen Leland Yee contact page To support the Assembly Bill, AB 376, write to your district's assembly member and tell them to support the bill. Here's a list of assembly members: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset7text.htm If you don't know your district, then check on the side frame of that page under "Find my District". California has a big Chinese population, so this will be significant. Nothing compared to getting an Asian country to do it, but still significant nonetheless. Also write Senators Boxer and Fienstein and Governor Brown to support the bill: Senator Fienstein contact Senator Boxer contact Governor Brown contact Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gina 9 Posted February 15, 2011 Excellent, thanks for the contact info, Drew. I'm in SF and will NOT be voting for Yee for mayor! -Gina Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drew 0 Posted February 15, 2011 I suggest you tell him you would if he changes his stance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adamhanlon 0 Posted February 18, 2011 Senator Yee's inbox was hard to access, but Sharksavers have found another email: Senator Yee Please email him expressing your displeasure at him playing local politics with a global issue. You don't have to be living in California to make this point! Adam Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
derway 2 Posted February 19, 2011 Thanks you all! I just wrote all 5 - gov brown, both senators, my assembly member - Anthony Portantino. Why not write our US reps too? Think I will. Thanks! Don Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted March 2, 2011 If you have a Facebook account, Please LIKE this FB page Chinese United in Support of CA Shark Fin Ban Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allen 4 Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) BTW, Disney decided not to go head with serving shark fin soup at Disney Hong Kong because they could not find a sustainable source. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4622097.stm Disney made the point that they did not succumb to outside pressure but only that they did not have a sustainable source. BTW Yee can not be all that bad considering he is taking on Rush: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/0...ers_boycott.php Edited March 2, 2011 by allen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gina 9 Posted April 27, 2011 This hit the news yesterday: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityin...87736&tsp=1 San Francisco's interim mayor admits he eats shark fin soup, and not surprisingly, does not support the proposed California ban on shark fins. It sure sounds like he cares only about himself, doesn't it? Yet he claims the ban is "anti-cultural" despite the fact it was co-written and supported by Asian-Americans. I will be writing him to attempt to get him to see the real reasons for the ban, and I encourage you to politely do so as well. Mayor Ed Lee City Hall, Room 200 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, CA 94102 or http://www.sfmayor.org/index.aspx?page=7 -Gina Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gina 9 Posted May 24, 2011 Some good news: Bill AB 376 outlawing the possession and sale of shark fins in California passed through the Assembly with a vote of 60-3! But the battle is not over yet; the bill will be going before the California State Senate sometime this summer for what I believe is the final vote. Senator Leland Yee has been an outspoken critic of the bill and we need to let him (as well as the other senators) know how important it is for this bill to pass. PLEASE take some time and contact your senator, or better yet all the senators, and urge them to support AB 376. Here is a list of all California State Senators: http://senate.ca.gov/senators Take action for the sharks! Thanks, Gina Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMW 0 Posted May 24, 2011 Fantastic news! AB 376, the bill to make possession, sale, and trade of shark fins illegal in California, has PASSED through the California Assembly just this afternoon!!! The bill will have to wind its way through the Senate next. We face some stiff opposition in the Senate, but we are confident that with the public making sure their representatives know that their constituents want the bill passed, we will gain success there as well. Topics merged: Admin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted June 22, 2011 Voting for the bill has been postponed to 28 June & it seems like the opposition to the ban is winning! Please helo get it through! From this Chinese online news http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/news/usa/uslo...4342525798.html it says "絶大部分是主流白人，從支持團體名單看，和去年要求禁止食用青蛙、烏龜是同一駁人。" Supporters of the bills are mostly main-stream whites, from the namelist, they are the same as the ones that asked for frog and turtle ban last year... I am Chinese & I support the ban of shark fin! It is not racist to love sharks! Chinese (& citizen) of the world are supporting. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1...155391454517610 This is how you can help, especially if u are staying there! https://www.facebook.com/notes/judy-ki/upda...150211534038581 http://www.sharksavers.org/en/blogs/760-up...ill-ab-376.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
furby076 0 Posted June 23, 2011 I am not a CA resident so my opinion is invalid to their laws, but I did click on the other link and signed that link to support sharks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted June 28, 2011 I wrote to the Senators & told them that we won't be visiting our dear friends in SFO, if they don't pass AB376... (anything is worth a try!) For those who can make it to Sacramento: "AB 376 will be up for a vote on Tuesday June 28 at 9:30 AM in Capitol Room 112. Please plan on arriving much earlier to ensure your place in the room--8:30 AM would not be too early..." https://www.facebook.com/notes/shark-savers...245086585507813 Please, the opposition is well financed, so your support is vital! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waynegor 0 Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) To all: First of all, we Chinese American support conservation and condemn cruelty just like you. Our opposition to AB376 has nothing to do with a bowl of shark fin soup or the restaurant businesses. We believe majority of the Chinese Americans may have shark fin soup not more than once or twice a year and don't really care much about it. However, shark fin soup, in most people's eyes, is associated with Chinese. Because of that, Chinese around the world are now being demonized as uncivilized, cruel and anti-conservation. In realty, Chinese is most conservation, we consume all parts of the fish, head to tail, not just the fin. We are being blamed for the depletion of shark population. However, the truth is that shark is depleting, just like any wildlife around the world, due to the demand for shark meat, liver and skin, not just the fin. Most Chinese American will support 100% ban on all shark harvest, not just ban on the fin! The organization against AB376 are recently formed, and fund by donation from just average Chinese American. The main reason for these action is not to be demonized! Edited June 29, 2011 by Waynegor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gina 9 Posted June 29, 2011 Waynegor, You do not speak for all Asian-Americans. Please read this article by Judy Ki, co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/28/3731946/l...d-the-race.html In related news, AB 376 passed the California Natural Resources Committee this morning by a unanimous vote (with two abstaining). Next it goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee for a full Senate vote. I think that it the last step before it is turned into law. If you live in California it's not to late to encourage your Senator to support the bill! Here is a list of all California State Senators: http://senate.ca.gov/senators -Gina Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted June 29, 2011 Most Chinese American will support 100% ban on all shark harvest, not just ban on the fin! Hmph, why don't you first support the ban on fins trade, then work to support 100% ban all shark harvest? The sharks & marine ecosystem will thank you for your strong & unwavering support! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waynegor 0 Posted June 29, 2011 Give me the logic why others can eat the shark steak, and Chinese American can not eat the fin! Typical just shift the blame on some else and have no heart to fix a problem! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted June 30, 2011 Give me the logic why others can eat the shark steak, and Chinese American can not eat the fin! Typical just shift the blame on some else and have no heart to fix a problem! To me, the ones who are working hard to get the ban passed, are the ones who have a heart! Unlike you, I wish the legislators in my country have the guts to even propose a fin trade ban! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waynegor 0 Posted June 30, 2011 To me, the ones who are working hard to get the ban passed, are the ones who have a heart! Unlike you, I wish the legislators in my country have the guts to even propose a fin trade ban! Can't give me a good reason, right! To demonize a minority group will not solve the issues, my way or highway approach will create more resistance! Only work hard in the right way will solve the issues! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adamhanlon 0 Posted July 1, 2011 This debate raises some interesting issues, and it is good to hear the way that Waynegor feels on this issue. Too often I think we only hear the voices that support one side of the argument, and I had not considered the point that it may be perceived as unfair to ban the eating of shark fin whilst the eating of the rest of the shark is allowed. However, what he seems to be missing is the size of the shark fin trade as opposed to the "whole shark" (if I may call it that) trade. The demand for shark fin is unsustainable and is very likely to wipe out sharks in the world's oceans. If we prioritize the exploitation of sharks in terms of the threat to them, number one is the finning industry, and number two is actually sharks caught as by-catch by long line fishermen. There is no viable demand for whole shark as a food stuff. The attempt to ban the sale of shark fin is a global conservation issue, not a cultural one. Without a demand for shark fin, sharks would not be in the precarious position that they are now in. I quote: "Commercial fisheries targeting sharks exist throughout the world. Sharks are sought primarily for their fins (for shark fin soup) and their meat but also for their cartilage,liver and skin. 73 million sharks are killed every year, according to a 2000 analysis of the Hong Kong shark fin trade. Many scientists estimate that at least 100 million sharks are killed annually, including sharks caught for other products, such as meat. Shark populations have declined by as much as 70 to 80 percent, according to global reports. Some populations, such as the porbeagle shark in the northwestern Atlantic and spiny dogfish in the northeastern Atlantic, have been reduced by up to 90 percent. Thirty percent of all shark and ray species are now Threatened or Near Threatened with extinction, and accurate scientific assessments cannot be done on an additional 47percent of the species because of a lack of data. The highest numbers of reported shark landings are from: Indonesia; India; Taiwan, Province of China; Spain; and Mexico. The catching of sharks in fisheries that target other species (bycatch)is frequently reported in open-sea longline fisheries targeting tuna and swordfish and can represent as much as 25 percent of the total catch. This bycatch is considered to be a major source of mortality for many shark species worldwide. Blue sharks make up a particularly large proportion of shark bycatch in open-sea fisheries (47 to92 percent). The value of shark fins has increased with economic growth in Asia (particularly China), and this increased value is a major factor in the commercial exploitation of sharks worldwide. One bowl of shark fin soup can cost US$100. Sharks play an important role in maintaining the structure and function of the ecosystem. They regulate the variety and abundance of the species below them in the food chain. Impacts from the loss of sharks can be felt throughout the entire marine environment. Live sharks have a significant value for marine ecotourism (such as recreational diving, snorkelling, and shark watching) that is more sustainable and often far more valuable than their worth to fisheries. Whale shark tourism, for example, is estimated to be worth $47.5 million annually worldwide, and shark tourism activities in the Bahamas generate $78 million annually for the Bahamian economy. To reverse declines in shark populations, shark sanctuaries should be established, and strong, science-based management should be put in place by all fishing countries and international bodies that regulate shark fishing and trade" I do not feel that anyone here has stated that Chinese people should be "demonized as uncivilized, cruel and anti-conservation". However, the cold hard fact is that unless we attempt to control the shark fin industry, we will wipe out an apex predator that will have dreadful consequences for the state of the world's oceans. All the best Adam Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted July 5, 2011 Thanks, Adam. Can't give me a good reason, right!To demonize a minority group will not solve the issues, my way or highway approach will create more resistance! Only work hard in the right way will solve the issues! The reason is we don't need shark fin soup to live/survive. Nobody will die if they don't eat shark fin. If they like shark fin so much, why not try the mock fin? I had, in a vegetarian restaurant & the soup tasted very good & the texture of the mock fin was the same as the real one. Note that I gave up eating shark fin & shark after becoming a diver & realise the damage the Soup is doing to the population of sharks & in turn our marine ecosystem. My culture used to treat women as "2nd class" humans, women are kept indoors & had their feet bonded. Super glad that we evolved! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart Keasley 42 Posted July 5, 2011 (edited) Can't give me a good reason, right!To demonize a minority group will not solve the issues, my way or highway approach will create more resistance! Only work hard in the right way will solve the issues! Waynegor, you are quite right, that we should not demonize a minority group. The fact is, the whole world is involved in the trade in shark fin. We are all aware of the shark fishing that goes on around Ecuador, Costa Rica etc, but we do tend to stick our head in the sand when it comes to our own failings. The EU fishing fleet have boats stationed permanently in the Indian Ocean (including UK flagged vessels, managed by DEFRA) that target blue shark and mako shark, both listed as threatened in some way on the IUCN Red List, I believe there are shark finning depots in Queensland (although I'm preparing myself for a flaming for daring to mention it). The only reason they are out there is the high return they can expect from the shark fin. Remove that element, you can be sure that those boats would shift their attention elsewhere, the meat itself is relatively low value, and realistically sharks aren't exactly an easy catch to manage! So we cannot simply point a finger at the chinese and asian markets. We are all part of this mess, from the supply route all the way through to consumption. This is why the Californian bill is so important, it leads the way in the world, to take responsbility for your own back yard, first and foremost. Hopefully it will set the example for others to follow, perhaps we will then see better quota management from fisheries around the world, god forbid we may even see all IUCN red listed marine species reflected in the CITES appendices, and afforded the same protection as endangered land species currently get. Any step toward that nervada is hugely positive. Trying to use the pretence of cultural or racial discrimination to stop these conservation efforts is totally misplaced, it is not just a chinese/asian problem, it also has huge implications to the lives and profitability of fisherfolk throughout the world. Edited July 5, 2011 by bottlefish Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted July 27, 2011 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/a...4_sen_comm.html UNOFFICIAL BALLOT MEASURE: AB 376 AUTHOR: Fong TOPIC: Shark fins. DATE: 06/28/2011 LOCATION: SEN. N.R. & W. MOTION: Do pass, but re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. (AYES 7. NOES 0.) (PASS) https://www.facebook.com/notes/bill-powers/...150316801561970 The opposition (some restaurants, mostly) have come together and hired high-priced lobbyists. They (the restaurant owners) know they don't enjoy the majority opinion (on the shark fin issue) here in California, so they're trying to buy their way out of being eco-responsible. PLEASE: Contact the state senators serving on the Appropriations committee listed below (whether or not it's your Senator) and tell them how you feel about this bill... BEFORE AUG 14TH. This is California's big eco issue for the year and we can't let some rich lobbyists deter us now! Senator Christine Kehoe (Chair): (San Diego, Del Mar, Lemon Grove) (916) 651-4039 senator.kehoe@sen.ca.gov Senator Mimi Walters (Vice Chair): (Orange, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo) (916) 651-4033 senator.walters@sen.ca.gov Senator Elaine Alquist: (San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View) (916) 651-4013 senator.alquist@sen.ca.gov Senator Bill Emmerson: (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Idyllwild) (916) 651-4037 senator.emmerson@sen.ca.gov Senator Ted W. Lieu: (Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach) (916) 651-4028 senator.lieu@sen.ca.gov Senator Fran Pavley: (HUGE area including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Agoura Hills) (916) 651-4023 senator.pavley@sen.ca.gov Senator Curren Price: (Los Angeles, Hollywood, Crenshaw, South Central) (916) 651-4026 senator.price@sen.ca.gov Senator Sharon Runner: (Lancaster/Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Granada Hills) (916) 651-4017 senator.runner@sen.ca.gov Senator Darrell Steinberg: (Sacramento) (916) 651-4006 senator.steinberg@sen.ca.gov Call them all! Tell them you're a Ca citizen and you want the will of the people to be done! http://www.meetup.com/sharkprotectorate Sign the petitions http://seasave.org/AB376.html & http://www.change.org/petitions/join-the-a...n-in-california Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xariatay 1 Posted August 17, 2011 AB376 is again delayed - for another 10days or so. http://www.ktsf.com/news/cn_news/reporter/081611shark.html There is a video in Mandarin but the testimonies are in English... Please help! Call them! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
