Opinion: Save the Sharks: the 21st century marine mantra

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Some fine end-of-the-week news as Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that bans the possession and sale of shark fins. The governor, who often wields a witty and even sharp pen to deliver his signing and veto messages, played it straight this time, as the subject deserved:

‘The practice of cutting the fins of living sharks and dumping them back in the ocean is not only cruel, but it harms the health of our oceans.’ As Brown pointed out, some shark populations have declined by more than 90%; the predators help maintain balance in the marine ecology. And tens of millions of them are killed solely for their fins.

The Chinese American community has been split on the bill, with some saying it discriminates against them because shark fin soup is only a tradition among that group; others have said it’s long past time for the culture to drop such a harmful practice.

Though the new California law -- along with similar laws in Hawaii, Oregon and Washington -- helps, it’s just one needed step toward preservation. China, of course, is a much bigger consumer of shark fin soup. But as there is a swell of sentiment that sharks are worth saving, just as whales were 40 years ago, there have been promising new safeguards elsewhere as well.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Micronesia is considering a ban on all shark fishing, and Fiji is looking at a possible ban on all shark meat and products.

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--Karin Klein