Senator Leland Yee, Ph.D.
State Capitol, Room 4074
Sacramento, CA  95814

Dear Senator Yee,

The San Francisco Green Party strongly supports AB 376 (Fong, Huffman).

Shark finning for delicacies like shark fin soup, is a tragic, inhumane, wasteful, and environmentally destructive fishing practice, which must be completely halted as quickly as possible. As top predators, sharks form an absolutely crucial role in the survival of all life in our global ocean ecosystems. Because sharks are now experiencing ecologically dangerous and species threatening worldwide collapses in many populations, a zero tolerance approach must be taken to prevent them from being finned.

The San Francisco Green Party believes that your recent proposal to address shark finning by putting tighter restrictions on fishers and fisheries, is an approach which has proven to have failed in the past, and will not succeed now. Because the policing of such fishing restrictions would be far too difficult to maintain, only a ban on consumer purchases, and possession, of shark fin products themselves will solve the problem.

We urgently request that you to take a much stronger position of full unequivocal support for AB 376, and for the complete banning of all consumer purchases and possession of shark fin products.

Sincerely,

Eric Brooks
Sustainability Chair
San Francisco Green Party
415-756-8844