24,000 People Call on Gov. Brown to Pass Shark Fin Ban

by Sarah Parsons · 2011-09-12 14:12:00 UTC
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More than 24,000 people have joined an online campaign urging Governor Jerry Brown to pass AB 376, the bill that would ban the sale of shark fin in California.

AB 376 passed the Assembly in May and recently passed in the Senate last week. The only remaining step is for Governor Brown to sign the bill into law.

The Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance (APA Alliance), an organization formed to give voice to Asian Americans who support a shark fin ban, is urging Governor Brown to move quickly on the legislation. Nearly 25,000 people have signed the APA Alliance’s petition to Governor Brown on Change.org, the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change.

“It is vital that the grassroots communicate the importance of passing AB 376 to Governor Jerry Brown,” said Bill Wong, member of the APA Alliance and creator of the petition on Change.org. “The Chinese press has reported that the opposition has enlisted former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown,San Francisco District Attorney Gascon, and former Judge Harry Low to lobby Governor Brown to veto AB 376 because it is an attack on culture and its alleged impact on jobs. We greatly respect Governor Brown's visionary commitment to the environment and his independence, but we are concerned that he may veto the bill if our side does not make it clear to him how important this bill is to saving sharks, the ocean, and long-term jobs that depend on sustainable fishing.”

More than 73 million sharks are killed every year to meet the demand for shark fin soup, a Chinese traditional dish served at major events like weddings and banquets. “Finning” has pushed shark populations to the brink of extinction, with some species declining by as much as 90 percent in recent years.

“It has been incredible to watch the Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance take the lead in organizing people across the country to support a ban on the sale of shark fin in California,” said Sarah Parsons, Senior Organizer at Change.org. “These activists see AB 376 as an important ocean conservation tool - clearly a wide spectrum of society agrees.”

Governor Brown has 30 days to decide to sign or veto AB 376. The APA Alliance is encouraging people to sign its petition and call Governor Brown at 916-445-2841.

Photo credit: moohaha via Flickr

Sarah Parsons is Change.org's Sustainable Food Editor. Her work has appeared in Popular Science, OnEarth, Audubon and Plenty.

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