r-10603City Council Meeting: August 23, 2011 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER s a ~pO ~ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA SUPPORTING THE PASSAGE OF ASSEMBLY
376 WHICH WOULD BAN THE SALE OF SHARK FIN PRODUCTS
WHEREAS, according to scientists tens of millions of sharks are killed every year
for their fins; and
WHEREAS, killing sharks at this rate, and pushing an estimated one-third of
open ocean shark species to the brink of extinction, damages the ecosystems that
support many other species, degrading habitats like coral reefs and kelp forests and
ultimately affecting the fish populations that we all depend on for food; and
WHEREAS, the shark fin trade drives the overfishing of sharks, poaching, and
the inhumane practice of shark finning which involves cutting off the fins of a shark and
then throwing the shark back into the ocean, often while still alive, only to drown, starve
or die a slow death by predation from other animals; and
WHEREAS, shark populations cannot sustain current slaughter rates; and
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WHEREAS, unlike other fish species, sharks produce few pups, and thus many
species are endangered or threatened due to the fin trade; and
WHEREAS, California's ban on shark finning off our coast is not effective as long
as imported fins are widely available in markets and restaurants and demand for fins
continues to incentivize overfishing; and
WHEREAS, a shark's fin is valued on the world market at up to 250 times the
value of other shark parts; and
WHEREAS, driving this market for fins is the demand for shark fin soup, an often
very expensive dish associated with affluence; and
WHEREAS, many California marine biologists, ocean advocates, and cultural
heritage leaders support AB 376, authored by Assemblymembers Fong and Huffman,
which would ban the possession and sale of shark fins; and
WHEREAS, because California represents one of the largest markets for shark
fins outside Asia, and represents significant entry and traffic points for the international
trade, stopping the sale and distribution of shark fins here will have impacts that
resonate worldwide; and
WHEREAS, AB 376 will be a step forward to protect sharks and. our ocean for
future generations by making it illegal to possess, sell, trade or distribute shark fins.
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NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
SECTION 1. The City Of Santa Monica opposes the possession and. the sale of
shark fins within the State of California for the reasons stated in the findings supporting
this resolution, which are hereby adopted.
SECTION 2. The City of Santa Monica supports AB376 which will ban the
possession and sale of shark fins in California.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
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MA H~ J 5` I OUTRI,~
City~ttorney'~ /
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Adopted and approved this 23`d day of August, 2011.
Ri and Bloom Ma or
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1, Maria M. Stewart, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify that
the foregoing Resolution No. 10603 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa
Monica City Council held on the 23`d day of August, 2011, by the following vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers: Holbrook, McKeown, O'Connor, O'Day, Shriver
Mayor Pro Tem Davis, Mayor Bloom
Noes: Councilmembers: None
Absent: Councilmembers: None
ATTEST:
Maria M. Stewart, City Clerk