Prohibit the possession, sale and consumption of all shark fin products in Victoria, BC, Canada

The major focus for this petition is to invoke a wave of support nationally by starting locally to prohibit the possession, sale and consumption of all shark fin products.   

The CRD is the regional government for the 13 municipalities and three electoral areas that are located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The urban centre of the CRD is the City of Victoria, and the regional district also includes many of the Gulf Islands, a number of rural municipalities and a vast tract of wilderness that lies along the south-western coast of Vancouver Island.   As residents within the CRD, together we have a right to act as stewards of the natural world that surrounds us to promote change.   With the recent announcement that Brampton, Ontario is leading the way in Canada for prohibiting the possession, sale and consumption of all shark fin products, it truly appears that the best approach in Canada is to take a stand in our local communities first, and the best group to voice our support to in the greater Victoria area is the CRD.  

 The sale and use of shark fins is the end result of an issue that is two-fold: one, the cruelty involved in shark fining, and most importantly, the impact this fishery is having on oceanic ecosystems, worldwide!   This includes species such as the Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), now on the critically endangered list by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which was once abundant in the waters off Vancouver Island, BC.  There is much research supporting the drastic effects that declining shark numbers are having on our planet.   While the decline of any species is a loss, the loss of top predators such as sharks, many of which are keystone species, will undoubtedly throw off the natural balance of the oceans - something all of us rely on more than we really know.

I ask everyone to educate themselves prior to signing this petition by following any of the links provided below, and watching documentaries such as "Sharkwater", directed by Rob Steward, that carry such an important message.

 http://www.sharkwater.com/

http://www.projectaware.org/knowledgebase/index.php?pid=108&tpid=6&stid=7

http://www.sharktrust.org/sd/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/trends/trends-features/brantford-first-city-in-canada-to-ban-shark-fin/article2025124/

By signing this petition, we are asking the CRD to follow the footsteps of Brampton, Ontario, and prohibit the possession, sale and consumption of all shark fin products within its region.

If you do not live within the CRD, we value your contribution to this petition; however, I also encourage you to initiate and support a similar petition in your own area, which we too would gladly promote through the Facebook page: Prohibit the possession, sale and consumption of all shark fin products. 

 Thanks in advance for your support!