New California Law Protects Sharks Against Brutal Finning
Monday, December 12th, 2011
Shark finning is a practice of cutting the fins off of living sharks and dumping them back in the ocean to die. The fins are then dried and consumed in costly shark fin soup. California’s historic Shark Protection Act, banning finning, was recently signed into law, working toward ending the destruction of shark species globally. We talked with Assembly Member Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) who, along with Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), authored the groundbreaking bill supported by a host of organizations, agencies and citizens who celebrated the signing. (Photo courtesy of Terry Goss/Marine Photobank)
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There has been a dramatic recovery in seal and sea lion populations around the north Pacific where the animals have found protected places to recover, such as the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Anthropologist Todd J. Braje, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Humboldt State University, tells the story. (Photo courtesy of Todd J. Braje/Humboldt State University)
Did you know that the ocean is a source of medicine for a variety of diseases? Pat Krug, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University-Los Angeles, has devoted 20 years of his life studying one kind of herbivorous sea slug. He says that there are a number of drugs in the pipeline that were originally found in marine invertebrates. 
Larry Collins, President of the Crab Boat Owners Association, talks about this year’s crab season and of the challenges crab fishermen are facing. (Photo courtesy of Valerie Termini)
The Project AWARE Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization working with divers around the world to conserve underwater environments. On this report, Director Jenny Miller Garmendia talks about one of their projects that is aimed at protecting sharks.
Skyli McAfee, Executive Director of the California Ocean Science Trust, offers a perspective on decommissioning oil and gas rigs that sit off the coast of California. (Photo credit: Platform Irene, North of Point Arguello: Linda Snook)
The warmer waters of an El Nino can cause fish to move to colder waters removing the food that sea lions need to survive. This report focuses on the impact of an El Nino on marine mammals. Kelli Lewis, Education Director at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California is our guest. (Photo courtesy of Joann Smith/PMMC)
While we enjoy observing coastal wildlife, it’s important to avoid disturbing them. Our guest Mary Jane Schramm, Media and Public Outreach Specialist with the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, says failing to be respectful and cautious when encountering harbor seals can have dire impacts on their population. (Photo courtesy of Mary Jane Schramm, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary)
