The Toronto City Council voted on Tuesday to ban the sale and possession of shark fins with a vote of 38-4.  Toronto’s population of over 2.5 million makes it the fifth largest city in North America, and it is the largest market for shark products in Canada. The motion was made even stronger by a unanimous recommendation calling on other municipalities, provincial governments, and the federal government to act on the issue of shark fins. Earlier this month,  the nearby city of Mississauga banned the sale and possession of shark fins. With a population of almost 800,000, it is Canada’s sixth largest city, and until this week was the largest city in Canada to enact a shark fin ban. A staggering number of sharks are killed each year for only their fins, and the practice of shark finning has decimated shark populations worldwide. …

“This afternoon. September 6, 2011- the CA senate voted 25-8 to ban shark fin soup in California. Thanks to Wild Aid and many partners such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Humane Society of the United States and Oceana… as well as all those who worked for this and contacted their Senators.” ~ Peter Knights…

May 5, 2011 WildAid’s Gala celebration last week in San Francisco was a rousing success for wildlife and for the ocean. WildAid’s mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes by reducing demand through public awareness campaigns and providing comprehensive marine protection. Honorees were NBA All Star and WildAid Ambassador, Yao Ming, Julie Packard, Co-founder & Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Addison Fischer, Founder and President of Planet Heritage Foundation, Inc. Towering above Sylvia Earle at 7’6”, the tallest NBA player in the country, Yao Ming has made an important contribution by taking part in an aggressive campaign in China and elsewhere.  His work includes billboards and a moving public service announcement calling for an end to killing sharks for shark fin soup.…