Hawaii Voting to Ban Sale of Shark Fins

[sailingk8]

Your help is needed:

Urgent: Hawaii State Gov to vote on a precedent setting ban on trade of shark fins in the State this month. Please send a little note to support Bill SB216. Hawaii would become the first area to fully ban the sale, trade, handling of Shark fins. Hawaii has a lot of Asian restaurants opposing this bill, please write to the state representatives as concerned citizens, tourists or divers in support of Bill SB216 to:
reps@capitol.hawaii.gov

It is currently legal to buy/sell/ eat shark fins all over the world including all 50 US states.
Approx. 250,000 shark are killed A DAY worldwide, please help fight this by sending a short note to support this new ban of sales in at least one influential area.

For more Shark news check out the Shark Forum.

Thanks
Kate

 

[Garrobo]

Sent my email.

 

[H2O 70]

Moderator, please link this thread to the one in Conservation. OP posted the wrong Senate Bill info Garrobo may have sent an e-mail to Hawaii requesting support for some Highway, Transportation Bill. There is also debate about the bill because it doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2050.

 

[Wantonmien]

Your help is needed:

Urgent: Hawaii State Gov to vote on a precedent setting ban on trade of shark fins in the State this month. Please send a little note to support Bill SB216. Hawaii would become the first area to fully ban the sale, trade, handling of Shark fins. Hawaii has a lot of Asian restaurants opposing this bill, please write to the state representatives as concerned citizens, tourists or divers in support of Bill SB216 to:
reps@capitol.hawaii.gov

It is currently legal to buy/sell/ eat shark fins all over the world including all 50 US states.
Approx. 250,000 shark are killed A DAY worldwide, please help fight this by sending a short note to support this new ban of sales in at least one influential area.

For more Shark news check out the Shark Forum.

Thanks
Kate

Hi Salingk

I'll email the Hawaii link straight after this.

Please also see http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/suggestions/329535-shark-finning-main-forum-request.html

I feel the shark forum is a little buried on this overall scubaboard forum, and could be more prominent, please consider and check the link above.

cheers

 

[sailingk8]

Moderator, please link this thread to the one in Conservation. OP posted the wrong Senate Bill info Garrobo may have sent an e-mail to Hawaii requesting support for some Highway, Transportation Bill. There is also debate about the bill because it doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2050.

Begging pardon I missed a number, Bill is SB2169
See the entire bill here:
SB2169 HD2.DOC

Regarding the date, I had a discussion this morning with several people involved and was assured the date was to be addressed and "will not be a problem". I don't fully understand politics (does anyone really) but I was told the date would be ironed out later.

This is a very important, precedent setting bill that could make a HUGE difference for Sharks. If this can happen in Hawaii with it's high population of Asians, there is a better chance it can happen elsewhere.

Saving the sharks is one of the back bone of diving as far as I'm concerned. Many people here dive because of shark. Ecologically who can say what will happen when they are all gone and at approximately 250,000 a day being killed with very little regulation beyond not actually finning them at sea with in the territorial waters of about 15 countries, there is little hope they will survive with out further intervention like banning the sale and possession of fins. As it is you can purchase shark fins anywhere in the world. Do you know why they target Hammerheads? Because the fins break up nicely into noodle-like consistency when put in boiling water. Meanwhile Hammerheads are rapidly vanishing from the oceans.

Not fit for the Basic Scuba forum? I beg to differ.

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@ Wantonmien - I completely agree, thanks.

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[sailingk8]

It passed!!! The Hawaiian House just voted in favor of the bill to ban the distribution, sale and possession of shark fins in Hawaii. Still a few more steps to go, but this is another huge hurdle!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this get this far!
Whoo hoo!!

For more good news about sharks - go to the Shark Forum:
Shark Forum! - ScubaBoard

 

[RJP]

It passed!!! The Hawaiian House just voted in favor of the bill to ban the distribution, sale and possession of shark fins in Hawaii. Still a few more steps to go, but this is another huge hurdle!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this get this far!
Whoo hoo!!

For more good news about sharks - go to the Shark Forum:
Shark Forum! - ScubaBoard

Now let's get on to some real work!

"Hawaii Voting to Ban Sale of Split Fins!!"

 

[sailingk8]

Now let's get on to some real work!

"Hawaii Voting to Ban Sale of Split Fins!!"

Friends don't let friends wear split fins.

 

[sailingk8]

If you're interested in helping with the fight to save Sharks:

A really good campaign
Say No to Shark Fin Soup Campaign is the best. With minimal donations they are buying bus stop Bill Boards in Asia featuring Yao Ming the basketball star. I feel it's the most proactive and they accept any amount you are willing to donate through Paypal.


To get good information on what is happening in the fight to save sharks:
The Global Shark Initiative Web Page
or on Facebook

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[Louie]

Thanks for all the updates sailingk8!

Looks like there's some movement out of Hong Kong around the Anti Shark-fin Campaigns. Saw this in the Independent:

Hong Kong gets behind shark fin Facebook campaign - Environment - The Independent