Today California Governor Jerry Brown approved a bill that will ban the possession, sale and distribution of imported shark fins in the state of California. Under the new law, shark fins will not be allowed to be imported into the state beginning in January 2012.
This legislation will help shark populations worldwide by limiting the market for their fins, which are used most commonly in shark fin soup. Sharks are a vital part of ocean ecosystems, and it is estimated that their numbers have declined by more than 90 percent over the past several decades. California already bans the practice of shark finning (removing the fins and tail of a shark while still alive, which leads to its death), however other states and nations still allow this practice, and California is a major market for imported shark fins.
Baykeeper applauds the Governor for signing this important bill to help protect sharks and promote a healthy ocean ecosystem. Read the San Francisco Chronicle's article about the shark fin ban becoming law.