The Times has a story in today's paper about the Assembly bill to help protect live sharks from having their fins cut off before they're thrown back to die in the water. This practice isn't only cruel, it's threatening the species and the health of ocean ecosystems worldwide, and it's growing as the Chinese middle class swells and demand for shark fin soup rises.
The bill, supported by a consensus of environmentalists, scientists and animal advocates, is cosponsored by Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), which should lend at least some comfort and cover to those of us concerned about the multicultural issues this legislation treads on.
Opposed to the legislation is Senator Leland Yee, who would like to become San Francisco's next mayor. In my email to him (find him here senator.yee@senate.ca.gov and here Leland@LelandYee.com), I suggest that the prospects of running for that post from an anti-environmental, pro-animal cruelty posture will be precarious.
More about what you can do to help the sharks here:
http://www.sharksavers.org/en/blogs/722-support-needed-california-shark-fin-bill.html
Dear Senator Yee,
I urge you to reconsider your stand on AB 376. I recognize the importance of the issue to the Chinese-American community, but the environmental and animal-cruelty issues here are too grave to ignore.
I am sure I don't stand alone in saying that this issue will be determinative in deciding whom to support in future elections. There isn't that much that differentiates candidates in my native city of San Francisco, but environmental and animal-cruelty issues are so emotional they will flip a vote in a heartbeat.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Festa
3482 22nd Street, Apt. B
San Francisco, CA 94110
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