27,000 Demand Governor Brown Approve Shark Fin Ban Before Sunday

by Sarah Parsons · 2011-10-05 07:02:00 UTC
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Tens of thousands of people have joined a popular campaign on Change.org demanding Governor Brown sign a bill by Sunday, October 9th, that would ban the sale of shark fin in California.

Bill Wong, a concerned member of the Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance (APA Alliance), launched the campaign after learning that demand for shark fin soup results in the death of 73 million sharks each year. California, Wong’s home state, represents about 85 percent of the total U.S. shark fin trade.

“AB 376 is critical to the survival of sharks because all of Asia is watching what California is doing,” said Wong. “By signing this bill, Governor Brown would make California the tipping point in the global effort to save the species and protect the ocean ecosystem."

News of the petition’s success is likely to increase pressure on Governor Brown. Since the campaign launched earlier this year, supporters have helped push both the California state assembly and senate to pass AB 376. More than 27,000 people have signed Wong’s petition, and the numbers continue to climb.

“It has been remarkable to watch the momentum build on Bill Wong’s petition,” said Sarah Parsons, Change.org’s senior organizer. “Change.org is about empowering anyone, anywhere to create meaningful change in their community, and it’s obvious that the APA Alliance’s campaign to ban shark fin in California has a huge amount of support on the ground.”

Governor Brown has until Sunday, October 9, to pass or veto AB 376. If he fails to sign or veto the bill before Sunday, it will become a law without signature.

If you would like to express your support for AB 376, call or email Governor Brown's office  (get contact information and instructions here) and sign the Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance's petition on Change.org.

Photo credit: jmurawski 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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