California AB 376 to be voted on by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, August 25.
California residents: If you haven't already done so, please call your senators today. Click here to identify your Senator through your zip code. If you can, call all of the California senators: http://senate.ca.gov/senators . These three senators especially need to hear from you:
Elaine Alquist
Bill Emmerson
Mimi Walters
Talking Points: You won't need to engage in a conversation, but here are talking points:
The Shark Fin Trade Destroys Shark Populations: The shark fin trade is like the now-illegal trades in ivory, rhino horns, and bear paws, where the demand for a single high-value animal part drives the unsustainable slaughter and waste of the whole animal. This trade is resulting in shark populations collapsing in many parts of the world.
California Contributes to the Problem: California imports and re-exports shark fins from all over the world, including Asia. Approximately 85% of all U.S. dried shark fin imports come through California. Los Angeles and San Francisco are recognized points of entry for the shark fin trade. The U.S. accounts for 70% of all shark fin imports outside of Asia.
Only a Trade Ban Can End California's Contribution and Help Save Sharks:The shark fin trade is driven by fishing and finning throughout the world, including international waters. The product is imported to California and the U.S.
Use Shark Saver's new online letter to send your sentator a letter. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/banthefin-AB376/ It will take just a minute to send this letter to your senator, if you prefer that to a phone call. This online letter can easily be shared with your California friends, so please use this to broadcast this out to your personal network and ask them to sign.
Thank you for your continued support of sharks and AB 376.