So, you shouldn’t eat fish because of mercury – is that what we’re saying here?
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Is shark fin soup a major source of mercury poisoning for Californians? A minor source? No source at all?
I don’t know.
Regardless, I cry foul.
(Would you have people throw RICE at your wedding?
Rice consumption may cause pigeons to explode.)
As seen in the Panhandle, southwest of the oddly-named and blighted(?) NoPA part of the Western Addition.
We’re reaching endgame on this particular issue, it would seem.
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Here’s another one, from the WildAid, featuring NBA star Yao Ming. And there’s still yet another ad out there rolling around as well.
This one here is the cartoon. This fish like a cross between a dog and a dolphin:
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On it goes…
Senator Leland Yee made it clear today that he doesn’t support illegal finning of sharks. But he opposes the idea of an absolute ban on shark fin soup in CA. It’s a “cultural showdown,” don’t you know.
Your State Senator in Chinatown. (Is this hostile territory for him now? It sure wasn’t a few years back, that’s for sure. No matter, they love him in the West Side of town, you ought to see it sometime. He has loads of boosters out there, irregardless of what the politicos of Chinatown say or do. Those voters might come in handy during our next Mayoral election, non?)
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It looks like soup was on the menu at this particular presser, huh?
Don’t know a whole bunch about this issue, excepting for this back in aught-nine and the occasional sidewalk shark sighting you tend to have about town.
All the deets below, plus the minority report from Mssrs. Fong and Huffman, after the jump
“Senator Yee, San Francisco Chinese Restaurants Call for Greater Conservation Efforts, Not Ban on Cultural Cuisine. Yee Says Ban on Shark Fin Soup is the Wrong Answer to a Legitimate Problem
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) joined dozens of San Francisco Chinese restaurants to oppose a bill to ban the sale of shark fin soup and make it unlawful for any person to possess, sell, trade, or distribute a shark fin.
Yee released the following statement:
“I am very concerned with the plight of many shark species and the illegal shark fining trade. That is why I support the federal law that bans the practice of killing sharks only for their fins and I would support state legislation to strengthen it. I would also support legislation to create greater penalties for and enforcement of illegally killing sharks or selling any product from an endangered species.
However, the proposed state law to ban all shark fins from consumption – regardless of species or how they were fished or harvested – is the wrong approach and an unfair attack on Asian culture and cuisine. Some sharks are well-populated and many can and should be sustainably fished.
Unfortunately, this proposal is just the latest assault on Asian cultural cuisine. Last week, we had to fight a proposal at the California Fish and Game Commission that would have banned frog and turtle consumption. I had to pass legislation last year just to allow for the production of Asian rice noodles, and similar bills were needed to allow for Korean rice cakes. There have also been previous efforts to end live food markets, roasted duck, and several other cultural staples.
Rather than launch just another attack on Asian American culture, the proponents of the ban on shark fin soup should work with us to strengthen conservation efforts.”
Demonstrating Yee’s steadfast commitment to environmental protection, this past week he earned a 100 percent voting record with the California League of Conservation Voters. Yee was one of only two senators to receive perfect scores on every environmental scorecard in 2010, including the Sierra Club and Clean Water Action.
PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY
Senator Yee, San Francisco Chinese Restaurants Oppose Ban on Shark Fin Soup
Yee calls for greater conservation efforts, not ban on cultural cuisine
WHAT:Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) will joined dozens of San Francisco restaurants to oppose a bill to ban the sale of shark fin soup and make it unlawful for any person to possess, sell, trade, or distribute a shark fin. Yee is calling for greater conservation efforts including greater penalties for and enforcement of illegally killing sharks, but believes the proposed state law to ban all shark fins from consumption – regardless of species or how they were fished or harvested – is the wrong approach and an unfair attack on Asian culture and cuisine. Some sharks are well-populated and many can be sustainably fished.
WHO:Senator Leland Yee
Bill Lee, Far East Cafe
Willy Ng, Koi Palace
Timothy Lee, Imperial Palace
Hon So, New Asia Restaurant
Elaine Chiu, Grand Place Restaurant
Kon Hung Chan, South Sea Seafood Village
Michael Ou, The Kitchen
Henry Cheung, Charlie Seafood Inc.
Michael Kwong, Hop Woo Co., Ltd.
Best Trade Company
Paul Lee, City Super
WHERE:Far East Café
631 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, California
Did you know that “The Future Begins Today?” Well it does, according to the four Bay Area regional agencies meeting right now in Oaktown.
That’s right, it’s Alphabet Soupalooza 2010 and it’s going off at the Marriott City Center in the 510. All your faves are there:
Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
Put them all together and you get ABAGMTCBAAQMDBCDC! (Or OneBayArea.org, take your pick.)
All the deets:
Region Celebrates Earth Day With Launch of ‘One Bay Area’ Collaborative Effort at ABAG General Assembly and Summit
Regional Agencies and Local Governments Join Together to Chart Course to Meet Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets
OAKLAND, Calif., April 22 — Four Bay Area regional agencies today are launching a major outreach initiative, One Bay Area, at a regional assembly bringing together 350 Bay Area city and county elected officials, regional leaders and community stakeholders at the Oakland Marriott City Center. The regional agency partners — the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) — are coming together in a joint General Assembly and summit to mark the beginning of development of the SB 375 Sustainable Communities Strategy for the Bay Area. SB 375 refers to landmark legislation (authored by Daryl Steinberg and passed by the California Legislature in 2008) requiring regions in California to develop strategies for combating climate change and promoting sustainable communities.
“One Bay Area” harnesses the resources of regional agencies, local governments, county congestion management agencies, local planning and public works directors, city and county managers, public transit agencies, community members and stakeholder groups. These agencies must work together to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by cars and light trucks in the region over the next 10-25 years. These efforts will be showcased on a new website launched today, located at www.OneBayArea.org.
“One Bay Area underscores the simple and fragile fact that there is only one Bay Area to pass on to our children and grandchildren,” said Scott Haggerty, chair of MTC and Alameda County supervisor, who will be one of the speakers at the Summit.
Ever more deets, after the jump.
Do you like shark fin soup? Some folk do, especially in San Francisco. But the people behind the Shark Safe Project DO NOT approve. So they’ve skedded a Shark Finning Protest Demonstration for January 25th in the heart of Chinatown.
Will San Francisco become the first “Shark Safe” city in the USA? Looks like we’re on our way…
And will the graffiti kids switch from girafa to friendly, smiling shark?
via that_james’ photostream Click to expand
Only Time Will Tell.
No matter, these wailing souls will release their shark attack against various restaurants starting at noon on January 25th, 2009 in Portsmouth Square 花園角. (NB: Go before you go.)
Which restaurants?
Find out, after the jump.
