Great news! Bill AB 376, introduced by California Assembly members Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) to ensure that California ceases to be both a major supplier and consumer of shark fins through a ban on the possession, sale, trade and distribution of fins, has passed its first major hurdle. Yesterday the bill was introduced on the California Assembly floor and was voted through by a vote of 65-8. BAM!
And a lot of the credit for this victory goes to the 17,788 Defenders supporters in California who let their representatives know that they wanted to protect sharks from finning, a brutal practice that claims the lives of over 73 million sharks each 
year and involves cutting off the shark’s fins, often while it is still alive, and throwing the shark back overboard to eventually die. Many shark populations have collapsed worldwide due to overfishing, with some populations declining as much as 90-99% . This is a big first step in protecting sharks and ensuring their survival and for your help in this first victory we here at Defenders want to thank you!
No word yet on when bill AB 376 will be introduced to the Senate but it looks like it will be sometime in mid to late June. We hope we can count on you again when the time comes to contact your senators and to tell them to protect these magnificent ocean dwellers. And once again, thank you very much for your support not only on this, but on all our issues!
Defenders of Wildlife leads the pack when it comes to protecting wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
Turning the pages of the Summer 2011 Defenders issue, I read with great excitement the article entitled, Finished with Finning. As author of the Bryson McGann novel series featuring McGann and the National Earth Seas Science Agency(NESSA); I wrote about NESSA’s attempts to put an end to the sensless slaughter in Caribbean Agenda. I am delighted to know California may soon join Oregon and Washington in the quest to end this destructive and devastating waste of our ocean’s inhabitants. Let’s continue in this direction and push for the complete ban of whaling by commercial fisheries. Keep up the great work Defenders! Fair winds…William Beck
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Based on the recent IPSO report out of Oxford this is a step in the right direction for the beleaguered oceans and its inhabitants. From coral, to marine mammals, to all kinds of fish species, even plankton and krill are in danger. Read Sylvia Earle’s book Sea Change written years ago and see what was going on even then! Humankind has a big task ahead in order to save the oceans and we need to get working on it immediately. Lyn W.
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