March 11, 2011

Losing The Taste for Shark Fins

Our campaign to save a mighty animal

Shark finning means hacking the fins off sharks, often while they're still alive, and throwing them back overboard to die slowly. And for what?

Shark finning is driven by demand for shark fin soup, an east Asian dish served around the world.

The HSUS and Humane Society International are working many angles to curb this cruel and ecologically devastating practice:

• We lobby for regulations to prohibit fishing vessels from finning sharks.


• We educate consumers who may be unaware of the plight of sharks.


• We promote legislation that bans the sale of and trade in shark fins, reducing the demand by reducing the market.

Local bans on the practice of finning sharks and laws to limit shark fishing are not yet numerous or strong enough to affect the levels of consumption of shark fin soup. Sharks that have been finned alive in the many countries where no such regulations exist are still plentiful. Many former shark fin consumers choose to give up this luxury dish when they become aware of the problem. Healthy ocean ecosystems and those who depend on them cannot withstand the ecological damage that will result from the eradication of these top predators.

"It's very sad to know that we are contributing to the demise of one of the greatest animals in history," says HSI campaign manager Iris Ho, herself a Taiwanese American. "The impact of bans on shark fin by Hawaii and the CNMI goes beyond our borders in a ripple effect across the Pacific Ocean towards the largest markets for shark fins."

Save the sharks

• Please join our efforts by signing the No Shark Fin Pledge.


• If you are of Asian Pacific background, please check out the new Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance.

Timeline

December 8, 2011: A federal law is proposed in Canada that would ban the import of shark fins and prohibit shark finning in Canada waters.

October 26, 2011: The Toronto City Council voted overwhelmingly to ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins and their byproducts within the Toronto City limits.

October 7, 2011: Governor Jerry Brown of California signed A.B. 376 into law, enacting landmark legislation that will close off Pacific U.S. ports and their role in facilitating the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning.

June 16, 2011: A bill banning the possession, sale, and distribution of shark fins was signed into law by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber. 

May 31, 2011: The Oregon State Senate voted unanimously in favor of H.B. 2838, legislation that would prohibit people from possessing, selling, trading or distributing shark fins. 

May 12, 2011: Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed into law a bill prohibiting the sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins and their derivative products, including cartilage supplements.

March 8, 2011: Guam's shark fin ban was signed into law by the governor at a signing ceremony with the Shark Tsunami student advocacy group.

March 7, 2011: The Washington state Senate passed legislation, S.B. 5688, to ban the sale of shark fins.

Feb. 14, 2011: California Assemblymembers Paul Fong and Jarred Huffman introduced California A.B. 376 to prohibit the sale, possession, and distribution of shark fins in the state. 

Feb. 7, 2011: In Washington, Senator Kevin Ranker introduced Washington S.B. 5688 to ban the sale of shark fin in the state and received support from around the world, including from activists working to raise awareness on the issue of shark finning in Hong Kong. The bill has since passed Washington's Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Marine Waters.

Jan. 27, 2011: The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) passed a law introduced by Representative Diego Benavente to ban the possession and sale of shark fins. Representative Benavente is calling on others to follow suit and eventually create a global moratorium on the sale of shark fins.

Jan. 23, 2011: Guam Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz and Guam Natural Resources Committee Chair Senator Rory Respicio introduced Bill 44-31 to ban the possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins on Guam. Students in Guam started a group called Shark Tsunami in support of the bill. 

Jan. 11, 2011: Oregon Representative Brad Witt introduced Oregon H.B. 2838 to prohibit the possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins in the state. 

July 1, 2010: The Philippines' former president, Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and her son, Representative Diosdado, introduced H.B. 174, which seeks to conserve and protect sharks and stingrays by banning the selling of their by-products, including fins. This is the first bill of its kind outside of the U.S. and its territories. 

May 29, 2010: Hawaii adopted landmark legislation under the vision and leadership of Senator Clayton Hee—with support from HSUS/HSI, WildAid, and other conservation groups—making the state the first place in the world to end its role in the cruel and destructive shark fin trade. This legislation sent a message to the rest of the world that shark finning is a global problem that requires a global solution.