I've been volunteering my time to pass this crucial bill ever since California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) called the shark fin ban (AB 376), “an unfair attack on Chinese culture”. I disagreed with my Senator, and I knew as a Chinese American I had to speak out.

An estimated 70 million sharks are killed each year for a Chinese delicacy, shark fin soup, which most Chinese Americans have tasted at some point in their life.  Our culture is more rich and interesting than a bowl of soup. I've learned to respect it because it taught me to not be wasteful, or to forget the source of our daily blessings.  We can show respect to our families and elders through more than this soup.

Our culture is conservation, not mercury

Shark fin soup has been served in Chinese communities as a sign of respect. However, shark fin and meat is abnormally high in mercury, which limits the appetite of people to consume it. According to a 2001 resort by WildAid, fins are loaded were mercury and heavy metals that are 42 times higher than safe for humans. The fin is used merely for the texture for a bowl of soup, and to display one's status or wealth, not for the taste (which can be attributed to a broth of pork and chicken). There are many substitutes (such as abalone) and options for artificial shark fin. Shark fin soup was originally served only to royalty, but now, there are more than 70 million sharks are killed per year. At this rate, they will be extinct within our lifetime.

SharkTruth, a Vancouver based organization which asks Chinese couples to pledge to protect sharks by boycotting shark fin soup at their weddings, has diverted over 800 bowls of soup to date.

"Like others, I used to argue that the removal of shark fin soup from Chinese cuisine would mean the loss of an important part of Chinese heritage. But I consider myself no less Chinese now that I’ve stopped drinking the soup. If anything, taking shark fin off the menu can help preserve Chinese culture and communities by helping our oceans to thrive." - SharkTruth Founder, Claudia Li

 We need our sharks and oceans for future generations.   In 2009, the International Union for Conservation of nature estimated 64 shark species were endangered or near endangered. It is imperative we take a stand to protect sharks before more are threatened to extinction.

Environmentalism, not racism

Sponsored by Chinese American Assembly Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), the shark fin ban has gained universal support among environmental groups such as WildAid, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the California Academy of Sciences, Ocean Conservancy and the Humane Society.

According to a recent poll conducted by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, over 70% of Chinese Americans support the shark fin ban. A range of Asian and Asian American civic leaders have come out in support of this bill. The group “Asian Americans for Ocean Harmony Alliance” has an impressive list of API civic leaders in support of the ban. Actress Sharon Kwok, and former NBA star Yao Ming have been staunch supporters of a ban on shark fin.  The ban also has the support of legislator in China, Ding Liguo, who said "Only legislation can stop shark fin trading and reduce the killing of sharks".

The fin drives the killing, not shark meat

Over 70 million sharks are hunted down every year for their fins, and are then tossed overboard, wasting the rest of the body. Opponents have called the shark fin ban discriminatory because the bill does not ban the whole shark. But sharks don't need us to ban their whole bodies to help their populations recover. There is a very low demand for shark meat or products because fishermen do not have the economic incentive to hunt them down, for anything other than their fins, which could sell for up to $500 / lb. In fact, the value of the fin exceeds other shark parts (20 – 250 times the value of the meat by weight).

Sharks are bulky and take up limited space on fishing boats, while reeking of ammonia when slaughtered. The fin is what the fishermen are after. The meat, shark belts, oil, etc., are merely byproducts of the main product: the fin, which is a multi-billion dollar global industry. The same cannot be said of shark steaks or wallets.

Let's ban the fin trade, not greenwash it

State Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) has also called the ban discriminatory, but has called for an amendment that would legalize fins from sharks which are not endangered. He and other opponents claim that since the ban isn't for the whole shark (despite failed legislative attempts to ban the whole shark), we should continue eating shark fins, which are from sustainable sources. However, such an amendment could actually undermine shark conservation efforts by removing the stigma of eating shark fin, under the guise of “sustainability”.

This would also unfortunately create a loophole for the sale of shark fin through illicit means. The California Fish and Wild Game Commission has called the enforceability of the fin trade “impossible”. As a global trade, the resources needed to track and monitor every fin and fishermen, “the chain of custody”, are completely insufficient. Most sharks are killed in international waters, and the oceans are simply too vast. Such a plan does not demonstrate how it could address imported and illegally tagged shark fins. 

DNA testing for shark fins is also expensive and impractical.

Please take action today by calling your Senator! 

The bill is in the Senate Appropriations Committee and must pass this Thursday (8/25) in order to move to the Senate for a full vote.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/blogs/783-ab376-talking-points.html

These three senators especially need to hear from you:

Elaine Alquist

Bill Emmerson

Mimi Walters

Picture Source: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/Shark_fin_boat.jpg