On Aug. 27, animal rights activists gathered at La Jolla Shores to show their support of AB 376, a bill currently being considered in the state legislature that will ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in the state of California. Turning a contentious political issue into a day of educational fun, organizers set up tables for children to color shark-themed coloring sheets (which will be sent to legislators) and provided face painting, shark costumes and shark pool toys for kids to enjoy. Activists assert that the demand for shark fin soup has led to the practice of shark finning, which involves cutting the fins off live sharks and dumping them back into the water. Current laws on the issue do not restrict the number of sharks killed. According to a 2005 report to Congress by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, San Diego and Los Angeles are two of the top U.S. entry points for shark fin imports. The event, organized by the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL), a grassroots nonprofit based in San Diego, included information from guest speaker Judy Ki, co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance. “AB 376 is an important bill not only because it protects the lives of sharks but also because it protects the health of our oceans,” Ki said. “The ocean needs sharks more than I need soup.”