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Anti-Shark Finning Exhibition Opens in Support of AB 376: "No Fins, No Future"

www.aquariumofthebay.org
SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Aquarium of the Bay today unveiled its No Fins, No Future: Support AB 376 exhibition to help local sharks by spurring support for the passage of Assembly Bill, AB 376, which would ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in California

No Fins, No Future will highlight the importance of this legislation through a multimedia station, including WildAid’s public service announcement by Yao Ming.  An action station will provide visitors with a chance to sign personalized postcards in support of AB 376, which the Aquarium will mail to the bill’s authors.  In 2010, an Aquarium exhibit calling for an international ban on shark finning generated more than 3,600 individualized letters and pieces of artwork from visitors of all ages.  Select artwork is incorporated in the new exhibit.

“The passage of AB 376 is an important first step for banning a practice that should be globally illegal,” said Christina J. Slager, Director of Husbandry for Aquarium of the Bay.  “Sharks are essential to the health of our oceans, and we need to do everything we can to help rebuild their plummeting populations both in our bay and worldwide—this is a great first step,” she continued.

AB 376, co-authored by California Assembly members Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and Jared Huffman, (D-San Rafael) has successfully passed the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee with a 13-0 vote on March 22, and passed the Assembly Committee on Appropriations on April 6.  

Assemblyman Fong says, “Aquarium of the Bay is a leading example of efforts to support the apex predators of our ocean that keep the balance of marine life.  Its No Fins, No Future: Support AB 376 action station exhibit is a stellar example of a medium available for the public to voice support for healthy sharks, healthy oceans, and healthy marine ecosystems.”

Each year, as many as 73 million sharks are killed – most for their fins, to make shark fin soup.  Marine scientists point to the cruelty of the finning process: once the fins are cut off, the still-living shark is thrown back into the ocean.  Due to this practice, many shark species have declined up to 90%. 

No Fins, No Future is Aquarium of the Bay’s second exhibit dedicated to educating visitors on the practice of shark finning.  

About Aquarium of the Bay

Aquarium of the Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit marine nature center, dedicated to creating experiences that inspire conservation of San Francisco Bay and its watershed. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and certified as a Green Business by the city of San Francisco. Additional information on Aquarium of the Bay is available at www.aquariumofthebay.org, and on The Bay Institute at www.bay.org.
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin ([email protected]) is a leading journalist, publicist, strategist, blogger, content marketing specialist and connector in the international attractions industry. She excels at writing about all aspects of design and technical design, production and project management. Areas of special interest include AV integration and show control, lighting design and acoustics, specialty cinema, digital video and world’s fairs. Judith has ties to numerous industry organizations. From 2005-2020 she ran communications, publications and social media for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). In 2013, she was honored with the TEA Service Award. She was development director of IMERSA, and co-chair of the 2014 IMERSA Summit. She was publicist for the Large Format Cinema Association in the 1990s, now part of the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) and has also contributed to the publications of PLASA, IAAPA and the International Planetarium Society. Already making her mark as a magazine and book editor, Judith joined World’s Fair magazine in 1987, which introduced her to the attractions industry. Launching as a freelancer in the mid 1990s she has contributed to dozens of publications and media outlets including Funworld, Lighting&Sound America, Sound & Communications, Urban Land, The Raconteur and The Planetarian. She joined InPark in 2010. Judith earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. She has lived in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, and now makes her home in Saint Louis, where she is active in the local arts and theater community.

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